


Five Nights With Titan Fighters

by RedlaSunShowers029



Category: A Choice with no Regrets - Fandom, Five Nights at Freddy's, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A bunch of open-to-interpretation/platonic ships since the majority are robots, A little bit of intended ooc, Alternate Universe- Five Nights at Freddy's, Angst, Animatronic!Farlan, Animatronic!Shinganshina Trio, Attempted Murder, Broken Friendships, Depression, Graphic depiction of the remains of the children, I mean there is a lot of gore in this be warned, Mangled!Isabel, Multi, Murder, NSFW for gore, Night Guard!Jean, Night Guard!Levi, Night Guard!Marco, Pretty much everyone is insane at some point or another, Quite a bit of blood and gore, Suicide Attempt, Various references to No Regrets, definitely a lot of angst, faultily-wired animatronics, noncannon personalities, strongly hinted past eremin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-02 03:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 47,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4043743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedlaSunShowers029/pseuds/RedlaSunShowers029
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The murders of the children were far from myth, and yet few chose to believe them... Until the fateful day a child was bitten in the head and forced to get a transplant. With the grief of his childhood friend's injuries, Jean vowed to return to the restaurant and see what mysteries the place might hold... Though in the process, discovers that the animatronics aren't as they originally seemed...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bloodshed [Prologue]

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting from my DeviantArt- it's a little messy in places since I started this right after the second game. The majority of the roles have been substituted in for with different animatronic personas, though a couple were kept (Freddy, Toy Freddy, Mangle, Springtrap more or less).

Gunfire: the only sound that filled the putrid air around them. Blood spattered against the brick walls with the first fierce shot of the gun in the murderer's hand. Light blond hair a messy, unkempt trail against one side of his head, blue eyes shutting shut one last time. Crimson gushed like a river from his chest, head tossed back, and barely getting out a gasp of air before becoming still. The other two looked back in complete horror. "ARMIN!" The shaky hands of his friend traced the bullet wound gently as realization started to sink in: lured away from their parents, there was no one to save them from this fate. And the only person who had the intelligence and skills to help them had been shot down. Oh, why did he have to block the bullet?! "Let him have me... And run!" Those had been the last words he shouted before the trigger was pulled. 

Tears streamed down his face. His friend... No... And then the fear turned to anger, adrenaline and hatred coursing through his veins. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" he screamed, running directly at the murderer of his best friend. "I WILL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!!!" A hand blocked his way, however- looking up at the familiar, steady gaze of his sister's gray eyes: though the normal calm look in her eyes was obscured with pain, apparent fear and worry, a hint of tears in her own eyes. "Eren..." Eren's eyes flickered with a rarely-seen fear at this. Now he realized just how hopeless it was. Without anyone to save them, no hope available to them... And in the end, the trigger was pulled on them one last time, shooting the siblings both down at once to rest beside their dead friend. 

The murderer then had to face the challenge of where to hide their bodies... Walking around, he saw a few suits that were empty... A cat, dog, and wolf's... A smile spread widely across his lips. Perfect. Without much care, he slung the first body into the suit... As the cat suit's metallic mouth opened up far enough, strands of the boy's yellow hair, almost white in the light, slid out of view... Blood trickled from inside the suit and staining it red. He then proceeded to do the same with the other two, choosing which suit to stuff the others into hastily and then leaving without further notice. The mask of Freddy Fazbear hung loosely from one hand, gun in the other. Now he had finished up with his task, leaving the three hurriedly. 

On his way back, another boy, roughly the same age as them, was standing there with a cold glint in his gray eyes and an annoyed expression overall. However, he seemed rather phased by the blood staining the man's hands, running down his arms and staining his own flesh. "So... It was you..." He shivered slightly, though his somewhat calm presence still remained: like a child who had seen war unfold before his eyes. "You killed them, didn't you?" His eyes narrowed angrily, fear turning to anger, and then amusement. "Well, unless you want your identity given away, I suggest you drop the gun and let me go, or else..." "No, you won't get the chance, brat." Another bullet sounded with a bang as the trigger was pulled one last time.


	2. They're Definitely After Us...

Shift Two

The air the fan generated lent no comfort to the situation at hand, only adding to the guard's unease about his current predicament. 12:00... Time for his second shift to begin. Second night on the job, and he had very nearly been shredded to bits by animatronics. However, there was something odd he couldn't figure out the reason for... Why on earth were they after him? He settled down next to his friend, whose calm gray eyes lit up at his presence. "Oh, J-Jean, I thought you weren't coming..." "Nonsense. Just a little late, that's all..." The tawny-haired teen replied, settling down in his chair beside the freckled boy. "What on earth posessed you to take this job...?" He didn't respond immediately, simply pulled up the camera in shaking hands. "I wanted... To find out what caused the accident a few years back..." he confessed, pausing as the person on the phone- the voice sounding as though he were an instructor of disobedient soldiers- began to speak and explain his predicament to him. So they were indeed possessed... Great. "Why are you even here, Marco? I don't wish to see you getting any worse injuries than the damage to your frontal lobe..." 

He stopped short at the hint of... Someone... Murmuring in a way that drew both fear and sympathy into one's heart. "Come on... Be my friend... Don't want to be alone..." The tone was just as pained as a child crying out in fear, but sounded almost sick on neglect. "Help..." "Jean, I think you should check the cameras..." Marco gulped. "I think I hear the whereabouts of one of them..." The stage, normally set with Freddy Fazbear, Armin the cat, and the wolf called Mikasa, now had lost sight of the feline in the lens. "Where the hell did the cat go?!" Jean mumbled, checking the cameras frantically, and screaming afterwards: for directly in the lens of the party room's camera, stood the animatronic in question. A streak of blood dried brown over the years since the murder decades ago covered the left side of his jaws, which in turn had teeth like knives. But the worst part was the look he was giving the camera: like an overexcited child, blue irises dilated slightly, reflecting what minimal light there was and making him far more intimidating. "Security guard, are you THERE?" Each individual word had a uniquely off-key note to them, forming the words of a question in a voice from one's nightmares. Claws scrabbled at the lens in hopes of being seen more clearly: and these, too were streaked with blood... But much more recent than the stain on the left side of his face. 

"M-Marco...?" Jean squeaked out. "Jean, what's troubling you?" "Look at the security camera to find out!" the tawny-haired teen responded, holding the camera so he could see it, where the animatron was giggling madly now. "I think I see you... But... I want to meet you in person..." Without another word, the cat shut the camera off. When the camera retained its function, he was already gone. 

Footsteps resonated around the hallway on the left side, slowly, steadily... Each step seemed just as intentional as the voice he was responding with, giggling the words of a song each animatronic knew by heart, and yet his imitation was far worse with the lyrics:  
We're waiting every night  
To finally roam and invite  
newcomers to play with us  
for many years we've been all alone

We're forced to be still and play  
The same songs we've known since that day  
An imposter took our life away  
Now we're stuck here to decay...

Only in a moment's time did the pair look behind them, and were sorry that they did. Though the door was closed, the sound of scraping claws mingled with heavy, exhausted breaths filled the eerie silence of the rooms. Now his robotic arms were visible, dented, with the same impression of neglect portrayed in his voice. Each one of the screws holding the metal together were rusted around the edges, and portions of the material making up the rest of his body was a little crooked... None of these were so significant at day to be noticed, but with the glare of the lights on him, it was all too clear. "Friends... Friends, let me in..." The blood on his hands was starting to make contact with and stain the windows red gradually. "I see you..." More scratching, and then the horror dawned on them as the glass started cracking. "J-Jean, the glass...!" the freckled boy gasped. "The glass is shattering!" "Maybe if we don't look, he'll leave us alone... It's a gamble, but there's not much we can do about it..." An amused shriek fell from his jaws, starting to carve the glass with steady, sharp claws, eyes widened quite noticeably. "I see you..." Another check of the light, and the feline's metallic jaws were agape so that every individual bloodied tooth was visible to the pair. "I don't bite..." His tone was shifting to more of a creepy begging than the initial joyous behavior he seemed to have. In a way it was even more foreboding... 

"Don't look, Jean, don't look... He looks like he may leave soon..." The remark was met with another shriek, but this one was much more distressed. "Don't leave me again..." Time pressed on, and it was the more time that passed seeming to correlate with the animatronic's current tone of voice. More scratching followed thereafter, and then a woeful moan of a voice "You left me all alone..." Footsteps, and then he left, more pitiable muttering following after loud footsteps. "He's finally gone.... AAAAAH!" Three hours in, already at 41% power remaining. "Even closing these damned doors wastes power?!" Jean was horrified by this discovery more than anything else. "So I have to sit here and wait for my own blood to run from their jaws or something?!" Hands shaking, he returned to the cameras, and saw that the pale yellow cat had returned to the party room, looking into the cameras yet again with a chuckle. "He's quite creepy... Now, what was that about a fourth animatronic...?" 

A pair of gleaming, faded green-gray eyes glared out from behind the curtain at Pirate's Cove aggressively. This stare only increased its intensity as the animatron found the camera: as if it knew some other being was staring at it through the lenses. Blood stained its jaws as well, some of it brown over time, and some much more recent. "Jean... That's the one..." Marco gulped, heart pounding. "I knew I'd recognize the bastard," Jean mumbled, "and am pleased to see he's locked away in his rightful place. But for us, it's pretty obvious that he could get hostile again..." These words barely fell from his mouth, shuddering massively again. "This place gives me the creeps." 

"With a excess of luck, we may have shaken off that other bastard... If there's an animatronic I'd like to avoid being shoved into a suit by, it's that one. Something seems more unnatural in his demeanor- as if he doesn't know he's terrifying. Almost as if his intentions aren't what need to be fixed. What are your thoughts on this?" "Perhaps his programming is faulty?" Marco suggested with a shrug. "Which of these damn animatronics doesn't have faulty wiring?" Jean scoffed in response. "They all seem pretty problematic and violent to me... Except that wolf still hasn't moved, thank god." Another check of the camera proved this, however the gray eyes of the lupine were directed at the camera watching it in almost a... Not harsh, but far softer look: one to be sympathetic of in a sense, but without the terror acquainted with the animatronic Armin. 

"Hmm... That one doesn't seem to be very aggressive... Then again, you can never tell with these robots. One moment, they're neutral to your presence, and the next... They're at you with the knives they call teeth, trying to forcibly shove you into a suit." Jean mused. "She may not come to attack us... With any luck." Without another word, he checked the camera again to regard the robot that had now settled back down beside Freddy, her condition, and the possibility of her attacking. She was made entirely of obsidian black metal from head to toe, and seemed in roughly top-notch condition. Unlike the other two and their messy "fur," hers seemed pretty smooth, without many scrapes on her in the slightest. And around her neck, a red ribbon was tied, but hadn't been touched for so long it hung down in places. All the while he was checking she remained still, looking at the camera almost sadly. If only something could be done... She really doesn't seem so bad, but in this fucking hell, I can't be too certain. Could be the end of me if I seek to make alliances with these monsters, after all. "How much longer do we have?" he mumbled, checking the clock. 4:15. An hour and 45 minutes left in the incarnation of hell. This was, he swore, the longest night of his life, and learned nothing to show for it. 

More loud scratching on the outer walls. Footsteps. And then laughter. Checking the door light of the right door this time, that same cat had his head peeking inside with the same gaze of insanity as before. "Jean, Marco... Are we friends yet?" Horror paralyzed the two for a few moments, right before Marco managed to close the door mere seconds before the animatronic came in. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! How the hell does he know out names?!" "I-I've got no idea, Jean! B-But do you think... He's got... Intelligence or something?" the freckled boy asked, averting his eyes from the menacing feline outside. "I-I mean... How else could he get this far, undetected, and know our names already?! You only started this job yesterday! Certainly that couldn't have been programmed in already!" 

"Yes... I remember now... 1987... I thought I had met you before, hehe. You were all there... And then... At Pirate's Cove..." This could be the information we've been looking for! Even if it costs me my life, I'd like to know what it is... And he's about to tell us! "An accident occurred... The victim, Marco..." And then a fizzling came out before any words. "Oh, time to go back? 6:00 already? It seemed as though the night never began! Farewell, my friends..." Without another word, the robot turned on his heel and walked back to the stage. 

Jean was furious with his luck. He had barely managed to survive, and nearly had his questions answered, up until opening time had come. But not quite... The clock switched to 5:55, and a voice to make his blood run cold came from the hallway: "What, only 5:56? I've still got time..." It was that moment the power decided against the pair, drained, and unable to help them. Now both doors were wide open, all electricity blank, security cameras blackened, and now two sets of competitive footsteps echoed around each hall. "Fucking shit!" squeaked Jean, hugging his friend closely as he could. "They're coming...! Two of them!" On either side, a pair of cyan and grey-green eyes peered into the doorways, clawed hands on either side... 5:59, and the clock called upon 6:00. Defeated, the two slunk away, aggravated and devastated murmuring all the way back until the lights flicked on yet again. 

Tendrils of conscious thought began snaking along into their programming, meeting an intersection in the paths and joining each other again. "Armin... Why the hell were you there?! I told you that I was going to put things right for us. Your programming got fucked up after 1987, remember? Do you really want to end up killing someone?! I respect it if you do, but someone is going to get caught up in the mess of your claws and teeth if you're not careful. I'd think you'd have as much sense knowing how dangerous your night memory is." Click, click, click.... Armin didn't respond for a few moments, head down in guilt and anguish. "I never set out killing, but I have no idea what happens at night... I just feel so... Helpless to the conditions of the night. But him... That freckled one, Marco..." 

"The one who caused this defect- so he is back?! Damn, I knew I recognized that face. Still got the gaping hole in his head. He took your memory capability and confidence, I took a bit of his functioning. Makes sense, doesn't it?" "Y-You didn't have to be so harsh, Eren: that was way overboard, and now all children run in fear of us." The canine animatron wrapped an arm around his friend's neck. "Save for me, they're wary... Scared is a bit of an overstatement, right?" "I wouldn't say for a place with the morbid history of brain-chomping robots, Eren. That was much more aggressive than was needed. Wouldn't a bit of scolding or talking with the child opposed to TEARING HIS MIND TO BITS!" 

"A-Armin, calm down! I did it... Because I was sick and tired of seeing you getting injured..."  
"He was scared, I made a false move... I came too close to his face out of nowhere..."   
"But he still damaged you. That was why I did it."   
Both remained silent apart from a few echoing footsteps along the halls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not particularly proud with the first couple of chapters- they didn't come out as well as I was expecting and were a bit random, though I feel like it got better as time went on. Hope you enjoy regardless.


	3. The Bite of '87

The immediate greeting to the pair of boys at the door was a cat striding around, holding the door for them, a light yet toothy grin on his face. At this point in time, he was of the utmost grace and understanding, the most human of the bunch... His programming never faltered, even at hours like 9:30 or later. Respected, respectful, respectable... Even if he was a robot, he retained a sort of gentle intellect that calmed even the most fearful of souls with his timid exterior combined with his fondness of childhood. Curiosity had always been a major trait of his, and seeing it in the children always brought back some of the life he had lost to the foul bullets of the gun in the imposter's hand. And these two in particular seemed to have that same spark of curiosity and spirit reflected in their retinas. New visitors, for sure- his memory didn't have any information about them. He sent each off with a small, good-natured pat on the head. 

And through all else in the party, the same respect and happiness was given to each child in turn, and recovered on his end. His exterior compassion for the children, which he still was in truth, attracted them through the entire party, stopping on occasion to read the occasional book aloud to those who requested it, or to himself if the children allowed him. At night, they were themselves, much unlike the reverse that seemed past this year. An occasionally stirring lupine at his side wagged his tail slightly, then latched both hands onto the cat's shoulders until he jumped. The vibrant emerald eyes of the boy were the first apparent assets he was greeted by from behind his book, the eyes peering down at it. "Another natural science book, Armin? Damn, these kids sure know how to make you happy... Same child who always brings them?" 

"Mmhmm." he purred, gently setting the book aside. "Hanji always tends to haul the books around with them, and allows me some time to look them over." His gaze trailed back to the deep emerald of his friend's eyes and followed him back to the rooms he was so accustomed to. "So they finally gave you the privilege of free roam?" Armin inquired, tail posed in almost a question mark shape as he spoke. "At long last," he mumbled in response, "they finally allowed me to. I've no idea what they were so worried about-" "Out of honesty, you're not always the most... Self controlled animatron. It's deeply possible they were afraid you'd lash out... Even when the others say things you don't agree with, over reactions on your part can occur... Such as staring them down, for example?" The good-natured and intended aura of these simple remarks, ridden fully with only the most sincere and understanding truth. He's right... Sometimes I do lose my temper and glare at the children on occasion. "Some of the things they say-" 

"Are no less valid as your own." Armin cut off the wolf with a shake of his index finger. "How would you feel being stared down by an angry animatron?" Yes, this was all true to no faults, and allowed him to see it as well, a bit of guilt creeping up into his own mental programming cartridges, all of which had adapted to accommodate the wandering soul trapped inside. "I-I suppose you're right, Armin..." he mumbled in a reluctant sigh, ears drawn back momentarily with guilt. "Supposedly, they would be scared of me on free roam... I'll try to make up for it somehow... Well, I presume you want to spend a little more time with the children?" A small nod from the animatron followed as response, setting off for the other direction, kneeling down, and putting a steady, calm hand on the child's shoulder. 

The few moments that followed were utter chaos. Startled by suddenly being clapped on the shoulder, and the somewhat frightened boy let go of his drink in surprise, which splashed up directly in the animatron's face. The soda drizzled and seeped into the cat's wiring, the response nearly immediate. "Oh..." Armin churred softly, removing his hand from the shoulder of the boy, Marco, mere seconds before it started to get into the delicate wires. A shock of electricity sparked and overpowered him, turquoise eyes violently open for a few moments, fingers all crooked into startled talons for a few moments. He barely got to his feet and got away from the children in time not to get them involved with the dangerous malfunctioning of his internal malfunctioning. The wires, corrupted by the domination of the foreign liquid, gave way, causing the animatron to fall directly backwards with a hard thud. Eren was odd in the other corner, chatting with the wolf who had been his sister in the past life when he felt the tremors resulting from the violent crash. "M-Mikasa, hold on a second, I want to check what that was..." 

A horrendous sight met him as he strode from Pirate's cove; head forced upwards painfully, oozing with the various liquids of blood and soda at once, eyes closed and fizzing, lay his dearest friend. Yet again, the same feeling of dread overtook his control: for yet again he was losing him. The bullets had been hard enough for him to comprehend, yet they managed to forget it to some extent by the time their minds had fused with these robotic bodies eternally. They had been on the same boat, the same place, and nothing had changed between their friendship. But now... Surely now, Armin was gone from him... He was paralyzed for a moment, then rushed over to his dearest companion. He fiddled with the various, now exposed wiring inside of the cavity in the robot's cranium, yet couldn't seem to get them to the correct sorts. Of all these, the programming of his memory was the most soiled, especially in his night mode status. "Armin... Armin! No... Y-You can't be... Armin... Armin!" But he got no response from the robot, and more memories from when he was still there flooded his mind. No matter where he went, he could always rely on the blonde being by his side... Even when he was at a loss, his friend always turned the world around for him... And now, he was certain there would never be a response to his lonely, desperate cries. Without his friend... Without his friend... Without Armin, who stood up for and protected him against even the most sincere opponents to be reckoned with with his quick reasoning, to share his dreams with... Who would be for him then? Mikasa was always there, and yet... Without the both of them by his side, he felt as though a gigantic hole had been ripped from his own wiring. 

"Armin..." Tears of blood tricked down his face, cradling the fallen animatronic in his own metallic arms, whimpering and crying with no answers still. Armin was just as silent as before, with no movements and broken wires dangling from his mental cavity. Even like this he looked peaceful yet despondent all the while. Eren still couldn't believe a single bit of it. But somehow, even Armin's second chance at life had been as violently ripped from him as before. For many minutes, the pair of boys looked on at the heart-wrenching, horrifying scene before them with sincerity and fear. "M-Marco, what happened?" "I haven't the slightest clue... He startled me, and... I somehow caused him to malfunction?!" "You must've let go of that cup in your hands, Marco. Do you see the same liquid running from his damaged head?" Jean responded with a point in the direction of the mourning animatron sobbing blood over his unresponsive companion. "I don't think he fancies us at all... Should we leave before he discovers what happened? That one can get pretty aggressive..." 

The wails and caterwauls of the metallic being subsided for a few moments, silently clutching the broken body of Armin's animatronic persona for a few moments, laying him just as carefully on the ground. "Armin..." And then, something else sparked in him, igniting and singeing all judgement away into a mass of anger and vengeance. Wrathful eyes searched around the restaurant until he found the pair of boys, panicked and regretful. "You....!" Eren's voice was barely distinguishable as anything more than a furious hissing between his sharp teeth. Crimson drops of blood still dripped and flowed down the chocolate metal surrounding his enraged eyes as he sprinted angrily over to them. "You....! You! What the hell did you do to him?!" Every word got angrier and angrier as he shook Marco and held onto him with pure hatred. The poor freckled boy was barely able to respond with the layers of guilt and terror, sobbing out the words: "I didn't mean to! He startled me and I accidentally sprayed him! Please, I'm sorry!" he shuddered. "Silence, child! You killed him! YOU KILLED HIM! That was all I had left in this hell of a place! All I had left since my dead body was forcibly shoved into this suit!" Now, if Armin had been conscious, he would've stopped Eren before there words fell angrily from his jaws, but without the animatron to keep him restrained, he was a ball of fury, giving far too much information to the children before him. "Jean, run! Get away from him!" Marco screamed in horror. Right before him, a pair of ferocious jaws jerked his head forward, jamming a massive portion of his skull into the razor-sharp fangs' way... 

Jean bolted and ran in fear. The only thing he heard was a horrifying crunch, an eruption of a scream, and the gushing of blood trickling behind him. His mother took him by the hand, racing him away, as many other parents did just the same. Tears were plastered to her face in horror and upset. Marco had been just as known to her as to his own mother, as a friend to her own boy, and almost a brother. The quick reaction was only fortunate, screaming "Jean, don't look! Don't look back! I'm going to call an ambulance!" Her fingers were shaky with the dials on the phone, screaming out the words between sobs just as fearfully: "Hello! Hello, we need an ambulance! My son's best friend just got their brain severed by a mad animatron! Yes, it's the brown one over at Freddy's, and he needs immediate help!" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Flashing lights accompanied the panicked voices of the children around them, parents rushing them away, screams over top of each other in the chaos. Blood stained the floors, running crimson droplets from the apathetic Eren's jaws, but still he had done no more than make his point. Shaking hands followed the stray tangle of cords, which he separated and rewired as carefully and efficiently as possible (he had read throughly over a mass of mechanics books with his friend enough to memorize some of the key rules). This involved drying quite a few of the short circuited wires, persistence, and a couple of parts added and replaced. He took a spare memory card that would be needed to possibly regenerate his systems, and ran around frantically, removing other wires where they could work, including those in the lights... Three tiring and hopeless-seeming hours later, the other animatronic finally opened his eyes again. "E-Eren?" 

Eren was relieved beyond belief, hugging his friend just as closely as before. "Armin! Y-You're alive?! How do you feel?" But Armin had other questions. Looking around, he saw the blood, the flashing red-and-blue lights, the faint screeching of sirens leaving, and more coming in. These weren't the ambulances as much as police now, searching for the animatrons in question and anything that might've set them off. "Blood... The whole ground is stained with blood..." Another glance, and his eyes flickered to his friend's jaws. "And the same dripping down your chin... Eren, mind telling me what happened?" Dread pitted in his stomach with the realization. Armin wouldn't forgive him for this, but surely he'd find out somehow. So the canine gave a short response, watching those wide orbs that were his friend's eyes change from confusion to pure horror. "You WHAT?!" "Armin..." Eren tried to respond with a semi-robotic gulp, "he killed you... I wasn't going to allow him to go unpunished." 

"Unpunished?! Unpunished?! It was a damn accident! I startled him! And that's your excuse?! A harsh glare is damned bad enough, but this?! You bit off half of his brain!" Somewhere inside the depth of Armin's wiring, there had been some faults in his personality mingling with the various added parts, obscuring quite a bit of his average actions. "Armin... But... Your condition...." "TO HELL WITH MY CONDITION!" Paws and claws collided as Armin stood up and slammed him hard into a wall, whatever parts added in giving him more physical strength against his friend. "You killed a child! YOU KILLED A CHILD! YOU KILLED A CHILD! YOU KILLED A CHILD!" With each time he repeated it, he bashed Eren harder into the concrete walls. "YOU WALKED RIGHT OVER AND DEVOURED HALF OF HIS MINDSET, DID YOU?!" Eren was in bloody tears again, badly beaten by the sudden reaction of his infuriated companion. 

"Armin! This isn't like you!" he sobbed. "I had to completely overwrite your night memory! Don't you see?! You're never going to be the same again!" The notion was enough to snap Armin out if it, crestfallen and heartbroken. "N-No... What happened...? Whose memory did you take?" "The remnant of Freddy's, I'm afraid. Armin, I had to... You would've died unless I did... And he's never up, anyways..." Armin's arms hung around his neck, a waterfall of bloody tears streamed down his metal cheeks. Not one word could come out in the mix of horror, anger, confusion, grief. The night had come where neither he or his friend would ever be the same again. 

Freddy Fazbear's pizza, once a sanctuary, had become a living hell for both human and animatron overnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a slightly more Eremin-ish twist to it: while I leave most of the [hopefully platonic] shipping up to the readers, I at least wanted to develop some strong platonic relationship angst with Eren and Armin, for I truly adore this ship. Since Eren strikes me as a foxy-like character, I put him as the Bite's committer, even though when I look back I believe Mangle was the attacker.


	4. Stab Through the Gears

"You! What the hell was that for?!" Jean snarled, each word poisoned with a violent and verbally aggressive purpose towards the same metallic feline he had seen so many decades ago in his place on stage. Memories were flooding his mind as well, and the pangs of horror from that day were taking over. He wanted answers. He wanted revenge. And what better time to get answers than at the times these robots stood conscious of their own actions? "Why the hell did you try to break the damn glass?!" Armin froze for a moment, one digit pointed at his chest as a look of pure horror spread across his face. There was a sudden understanding of what had happened resting in his scleras. He was silent, stunned, even, and couldn't help but remain just as violently aware as the night of '87's occurrence. 

But he just couldn't seem to utter those dreaded words. How would he talk to the victim of such a dreaded accident without getting either of them upset? And so he avoided the question until he could give a satisfactory answer. "J-Jean, you... It was you... April 17, 1987... The day the accident occurred. That day... Was it you? Were you to witness the horror?" Even with the store brightly lit, and both animatrons in their conscious states, the feeling of unease still crept into and colonized his brain with the horrific memories of flashing lights and gnashing teeth. He certainly wasn't expecting such a direct answer to his purposefully vague question- but no, this was his main curiosity, and it seemed he'd get an answer for it now. "I was pulled aside before I could see the damage... But was it you that devoured a good half of his brain?!" he responded with another question, all fingers pointed at the animatron. "Tch- it's amazing how the human body can live I without the frontal lobe. Amazing indeed- that guy doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about." Jean mumbled under his breath. 

"I promise you sincerely- it was not I who damaged your friend's central nervous system. I-I really... Have no idea what happened on that night after I shorted out... All I'm aware of is the blood dripping crimson from Eren's jaws by the time I awoke." He shifted awkwardly, tail and ears both drooping, head down, and hands clasped behind his back in shame. "I promise to you I would've averted his attention... Yet I'm not the safest person to be around, either. I-I'm sure you figured that out last night..." Oil dripped down from his eyes, the robot's way of crying over the years when the blood inside his suit had finally dried up. "My night memory is damaged from when your friend destroyed half my programming..." More uncomfortable shifting. "A-And I'm afraid you're going to have to... Check the camera outside pirate's cove tonight first, before working with any of the others. I-Il explain what I can then..." 

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The animatron was there as promised. The two boys however fearfully, expectantly. Waiting for him to share what he had wished to. Worried eyes glanced around timidly, then they face directly into his hollow innocence of a gaze. "Hopefully, the camera's working... N-Now, do you see a knife in your office? Should be right over next to the fan, unless someone moved it..." Th glinting metal gave away its location in due time. "Y-Yeah... I doubt you can hear me, but... I've got it-" But Armin continued on with his little tangent, cutting Jean off. "... And when I come in, you're going to have to... Stab me through the head." The cat then pulled at a loose piece of metal atop his head until it pulled back to reveal a rather gruesome sight. Wires hung in a tangled mess between each supposed memory disc, and from the base of the suit, the hardened, brown remains of the former human's battered body lay. A shattered bone lay here and there, each wire slathered in a thick film of soda and even a bit of blood from his friend's bloodied hands during The Bite. The sound of fizzling completed the aura of dread. 

"See the green wires? Those are the ones that got replaced after the accident... And there's some sort of residue in my other chip..." The sticky, hardened mass of brown on one of the memory cubes was all too clear the moment he voiced this observation. "I-I need you to cut the bad programming away... The stickiness is getting into my mental processing units, erasing memory and corrupting my judgement. But in order to do so, you need to let me in..." A stab of horror lit up the face of both the boys. They'd have to open up the doors to one of the various murderous animatronics?! "Armin, wai-" But the camera diminished to fizzy blackness in an instant after he had voiced this final bit, and the hunt was on. "Shit! What the hell does he want us to do?! Let him into his room to shove us into suits, does he?! Like I'm gonna fall for that..." There was that murmuring again... And that could only mean he was approaching, calling out in his horrendous voice that seemed combined with a sleep-talker and a person going insane: "Don't leave me alone... Somebody... Help..." "W-Wait... Jean... Maybe he really does mean it..." Marco gulped. 

And the tables turned on them yet again: a crash, multiple growls, and high-pitched shrieks. Looking back at the cameras, all but Freddy were missing. 

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"Armin, what the hell are you thinking?! Throw yourself to the guards, will you?! They'll treat you just as poorly as they did before!" The coffee metal of his companion's arms pushed against how own lemon-colored body just forcefully enough to make him hit a wall without damaging any more wires. "I've told you before, it was an accident... Of course, I doubt you've gotten the slightest inkling of such accidents... A hand shot back and spills aren't unexpected for a group of children, you know. Especially some so little... They may have been ten, but that's still pretty young. And from what I've taken in of the situation, you went to them and devoured the brains of one, leaving the other screaming in the dark..." Armin struggled to keep enough composure as he spoke, but the mess of wires joined together with no rhyme or reason harmed his ability to keep such an image. It was that time again, where he couldn't function correctly and became nothing more than a child's incarnation of a psychopath. Already the words were starting to fill his robotic ears... "Let me in. No... Don't want to be alone... Let me in... I don't bite..." 

The animatron was desperate for something- anything- that could allow him to retain his senses, to function correctly... Alas, his programming had other plans. They were such simple, lethal mistakes his friend had made... Plugged the green wire in too deep so it separated him between human and animal. Human at day... A savage beast at night. Just like the lot of them. Three twists too far on the blue wire... One twist was enough to get it through; two, mildly corrupt; three lead to far more courage; and the fourth... The last straw on humane ends broken free. Don't fight back, you can get out of this somehow... I've got to get away before things get really bad... 

Eren couldn't at least deny that Armin had a point there... While he felt that his actions were justified, especially since the kid had inexplicably survived the incident, as had Armin... But yes, perhaps he had gone too far to an extent. His robotic ears flopped guiltily, attentively, submissively to what he had admitted mentally. He looked back to Armin- still his typical, significantly mentally damaged self. 

No... This couldn't be happening... The wires from his head were starting to fizz again- that could only mean one thing: full domination of the darkness that had consumed his soul. Damn faulty wiring, you could say, when you looked past his eyes. But in the turquoise orbs, something hateful, spiteful, evil... "All for the good of my life?! What the hell was that supposed to mean?!" Metallic fists banged the other animatron into the walls, until he could hear his friend's back smash into it. Not lethally, but enough to get the point across, at least. "Why the hell are you even making such an excuse?! All the time, it's the same excuse! And there's no damned thing you can do to deter me from finding the child... I need to end this. Put the past behind us. But, just give me this one chance to apologize..." The despair was too obvious, how he wished to set things on good terms. Always the good little boy... Or was he? It was hard to tell after his soul haunted this particular animatron. "Armin, I didn't say anything about the bite... But if that's what's on your mind right now..." 

Eren then turned to his despondent sister, who gave a solemn nod in response. "If Armin needs to make amends, I don't see why he shouldn't..." For a moment, a cruel spark dimmed in her eyes, turning red as blood before returning to the general gray coloration. Had she gotten sparked with the same cruelty as both the male animatrons had been tortured with in their restless sleep? Their blood might've run dry, but the residue from that fateful night... It still stained their suits internally, the former gushing blood corrupting their suits internally until wires ran crimson... For their child bodies had only slid past the night memories. He finally let go of his childhood best friend, who ran off rather quickly, the sounds of insane laughter resonating across the halls. 

Things are hearing up here, but one thing remains the same: with this kind of wiring, those poor souls don't stand a chance. I hope they heard me correctly... His last conscious thought before the corrupt night memory took over. 

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That same humming, some way down the halls, crept into the fearful brains of the two security night guards. "You couldn't have just let it go... You had to take a job here..." Marco whimpered. "Check the cameras again, Jean..." Missing. Yet again, that damned animatronic was missing. And so was his friend... No, all of them were! Heavy footsteps traced back to Armin, and on the other side of the hall, the two canids waited for his return. "I have the strangest premonition they're looking for a chance to get us if this cat doesn't..." Truer words could not have been spoken. The metallic gibberish was thrown about for a moment from the other toe, and returned with something just as incoherent. "Odd... He was speaking English a second ago..." But in the night memory, no one was the same, especially in speech habits. It wasn't just stuttering, either- but the horrific and pure inability to produce a word of English, or, well any other language.

"Which door is he coming from?! You should probably check the door light..." Uneasily, Jean responded to this request rapidly, and the eyes of the animatron met his. But unlike his normal, playfully insane night model a sort of ferocious hostility shone fiercely in his dilated pupils. The metal on his head was peeled almost entirely back, so each slathered and bloodied wire was showing from the programming and hanging out of the cavity in his suit. Horrified was the only way he could've explained it. Jean was paralyzed as he watched the animatron gaze back and forth, eyes locked menacingly on their target. And by the time the door shut, there was that gaze again: softer, innocent-looking that brought the words of guilt and reluctance to his mind. He only wanted to get in... But to fix his programming between a mass of razor-sharp teeth and claws like knives?! Bah! That was a different story entirely. 

"We should be safe now..." How dead wrong he was. A small grunt, a couple buttons pressed. The doors couldn't handle the strain from this, and shot right back up with ease until the horrific joy was visible. Another insane scream echoed in their ears, and terrifyingly recognizable English boomed in their eardrums. "Did you really think those run-down doors could protect you? And that someone wouldn't know how to reopen them?" The door finally broke free from the animatron's control and slammed shut in his face. More beeping and pressed buttons... This time, he didn't take any time to explain, instead taking the device he had used off the doors so they shut behind him. Both of them were trapped with the menacing seven-foot animatron towering over them. 

One shaking hand clutched the little weapon in fright. Now would be the time to change everything about the outcome- would he survive this place, or would fate act as a merciless bitch and allow this feline to skin him alive inside one of the variously wired suits? Eren's words rang loud and clear in his mind: "That was all I had left in this hell of a place! All I had since my dead body was forcibly shoved inside of this suit!" He didn't wish to find out what that felt like to a living person. He wasn't the quickest animatron to act, studying their movements carefully, eyes widening each time they looked over at him. Claws retracted. Jaws widened, revealing sharp teeth. Both of them were nearly ready to pounce. Someone's blood, or oil, was about to be spilled: one moment would decide which. It was a moment of confusion then. An aggressive roar came from the advancing animatron. The knife was wrenched from Jean's hand. An agonized, horrific scream. Hurried footsteps. A yelp of worry. 

By the time Jean finally opened his eyes, there Marco stood: his hand was oozing with oil, and a somewhat significant gash ran along his arm. The knife was held outward at arm's length, gray eyes fixated on the fizzing broken wires of the fallen animatronic, panting heavily, angrily. Just as Armin had instructed for them to do, the pair of green wires lay askew, the blue ones viciously pulled out. The hardened residue on currently active memory chip had been severed, and lay right beside him so that the wiring wasn't damaged, merely separated. 

The door creaked, revealing the dust-clad form of Eren at the door. Oh dear... Not again... He really had decided to go through with it... His metallic claws clutched the little piece of papers Armin inscribed the wire positions on. Better get on with it... Don't lose your temper again, Eren... Just fix his wiring. If I do anything rash, Armin's going to be enraged... Shakily, he picked up one wire after the next, scraping away the last of the soda residue that had built up until his eyes opened up yet again. One paw wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him up, the other busily trying to reattach the drawn-back metal from the top of his head. "A-Armin, are you alright...?" 

That safe feeling was returning as the poor haunted robot gave way, hugging his friend closely until he finally got back to his feet. For the most part, he was his normal self, but tweaked and not without other significant differences. A hushed voice concluded his sorrow in the end, turning to the two boys. "Y-You want answers, don't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite the fact they're animatronics, even still I feel that Armin would be the type to apologize and try to make amends, even if Eren won't quite have it... I know FNAF fanfics often times lose their appeal if the robots are softies, though I feel like these guys could have conscious and unconscious states: the conscious being relatively similar to their cannon personalities and the unconscious being their typical murderous animatron sides.


	5. Repairs and Murders

"Just screw that jaw on a little tighter..." 

Despite the hours being long before his designated shift, Jean strolled into the currently nearly vacant building, a sign reading "Employees Only: Repairing animatronics" written sloppily on a sheet of cardboard. Heedful, he grabbed his security cap for validation of his employment at the place, amber eyes darting back and forth to see what the fuss was. Then he saw the repair workers, alongside an even more scraped-up-than-usual feline animatronic he recognized in a heartbeat. Multiple layers of the endoskeleton were exposed on his arms, torso, and legs; a huge gash ran along the tail. His jaw was loosened drastically, though still attached, and every which way, nuts and bolts lay scattered at his feet. Then slowly, gradually, did he start to reappear in more glory than before: the various dents were masked with another layer of sun-colored metal, the jaw reattached so it could open and close with ease, even the inside wiring cleanses and freed from the hardened liquids inside. The liquids only one of them knew the backstory to. The two workers, on of which had just completed repairing the suit, was shooed away. "Darren, you've already completed your shift for now. Go ahead and leave the premises for now, I'll handle the rest of this repair." 

Without any reluctance, the other repairman grinned, then turned and left, driving off in his personal vehicle. Neither of them had noticed him yet, but there was a decent share of pure mystery to this departure: why would he have to do this solo? For what reasons... Better to remain hidden than expose himself under such circumstances: the only place that would allow him such protection was behind a wall of the hallways leading to the Dining Room. "Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?" The man's deep voice was oozing with an aura that couldn't possibly mean anything but trouble. "Are you still in here, or has your corpse rotted away at long last?" Carefully, he reached a screwdriver for a bolt implanted in the feline's torso, removing it. He did this for a various others until the structure revealed an unholy image that almost stopped the onlooker's heart. More hardened, browned blood lay at the bottom, little bits and pieces of flesh, all strung to the only remaining portion: bones lay askew within the crevice, piled up on each other in a horrific manner. Each one was stained just as crimson as the last, each one just as obvious. They were all rather small compared to an adult, clearly once belonging to a child. Amongst this, a couple silvery yellow strands of hair littered the bottom of the suit. "There... Most of you is finally gone... That must mean your friends are just as decayed as you are." 

The same process was continued with dog and wolf, carefully, removing the final remains and placing them in a plastic trash bag. "No one will ever hear of the murders again..." Apathetic eyes looked at the programming. "Ah, but perhaps there is another portion still rammed inside you... Perhaps there is a way you could still tell the tale. Just to be sure, I'll take these..." Screwing back in the little bolts, he removed the night shift's chips from each of the other two. "No one will listen to your little history now..." And replacing identically insignificant chips in their place. Silence followed, until aqua eyes opened and a voice piped up: "Wrong." 

The hiss of a voice was a bit too recognizable to the guard residing against the walls, still praying that he hadn't been seen residing in the dark hallway. Mechanical footsteps made their way to the imposing villain before the canines, teeth bared, eyes locked in sorrow and hatred. "The night guard is our friend- he already knows of what you have done to us. Repair us as you please, but no adjustments made to hollow metal shells will appease the souls that reside within. So pick us apart, make us physically to your liking, but in the end you're still the same murderer you always were... A suit reported missing wasn't enough for your desires, was it? I would've expected no less from a murderer whose cold heart can only best comfortably with the blood of innocent youths to refill it. You are a murderer to the end. You won't escape this place, I swear it to you, until you put. The. Chips. Back." 

Each moment increased the hostility in the voice until it became unbearably hostile- still recognizable, but just barely under the suppressed rage. "With what heart are you stone cold enough to kill children that haven't a single offense to you?! They may not know about the crimes you've committed, or the missing children you'd slain, but don't think that the mere imprisonment in an animatronic suit has worn my memory thin. The Bite of '87 must've made you very amused, didn't it? Then, even if not your fault, there was one less person to pass on the tale you wanted to remain a secret between victim and murderer. Your plan backfired. The assault of my confidant only caused more suspicion. The one who braves the night shift, I'll have you know, was a friend of mine from a younger age. He might not even remember it, but ever since the day you slaughtered us, many people you expected to forget. We didn't forget. They never forgot. And the removal of their lives yet again will do nothing for you, I'm afraid. Murderer. Or should I say... Mike Schmidt. Facial recognition, have you forgotten? Your recorded messages did nothing for he guard here but fill him up with fear. Why? Because you know the hell. You've known it much longer than any guard. No guard had been pursued as viciously as you, you know. So I ask you again. Put the chips back." 

Now he began to prepare himself to attack, jaws exposing newly cleansed teeth, claws raised. "Unless you want to know what the inside of the suits you stuff us inside of feel like on bare flesh, I ask you again: return what you've stolen or suffer the consequences. If you oblige, I have no reason to take your life. However, if you defile this request, I will have no choice... I should just kill you on the spot. Then you can't take any other lives in your wake..." Now, the murderer could not keep his composure- to think that one of the murdered children was spitting the truths back at him... In another life! He hadn't died at all, but more fused with the suit's programming, which had been shut off with his willpower. No wonder he couldn't get get the chip out of the cat! There hadn't seemed much of a need, anyways, but now, it was all too obvious... Oil seeped from the animatron's eyes, hands now locked on his throat... A quick slam to the wall took care of most else. "So tell me, Mike, is this what you wanted?! To be killed by the exact same child that you first took the life of?! I suspect this isn't how you planned things out. You thought that shoving out bodies in the suits would make us leave this world without a trace, didn't you?! We haven't forgotten, Mike. We haven't forgotten the sins you've committed!" His hands let go of the murderer, letting Mike drop to the floor, coughing. "Just how long did you think you could last, human?!" Claws ripped through his shirt in the back, dragging along his flesh... Not lethally, and not enough to leave a scar, but just enough to show he meant business. 

Bloodied claws retracted, his eyes blinked, and from his voice box came his chilling last words: "Let him have me, and run!" More came, much more akin to his night mode: "Don't leave me alone... Hear me... Come and play... I'm not what you think... I'm just a child fallen to a twisted man's gun..." His eyes dilated, and a spike of cruelty reformed in those blue marbles of eyes... Then subsided. More hollow words came suit: "Don't make me kill you... I haven't done anything wrong... Why do you shoot your gun at me?... What is the meaning of this...? Help me... Help me..." Then there was that same angered consciousness. "Was my life not enough to appease your bloodlust? You could've taken me, I wouldn't have objected... If you allowed my friends to live. But you had the need to inflict your hatred and spite on all of us... Poor little souls... Who have lost all control... To the events in 1987... A suit never turned up for months and months, nearly a year during the shipment of such objects. It didn't mask you forever, you know. In the end, the wrong person was hurt due to your cruelty... Why didn't he bite you, a person who deserved it? Cold and emotionless, you should just die here and now before you do any more har-" "ARMIN!" 

The voice cut him off and made him lose his memory of the events afterward, the injured Mike making a getaway the moment he could. But Armin wouldn't allow it, not yet. He slammed the former night guard against the wall once more, chips dropping out of his hands. At the moment, Mike didn't care under these circumstances. He just left them there, slightly broken on the floor, and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him, driving off in his van. The wrathful animatronic scanned the rooms with pure spite until falling onto the one who had called his name. Metal hands scooped up the chips, walking over, the oil still dripping down his cheeks. "I had a chance to make it right again..." he sniffed. "I could've ended his life there and then- did you not see the bones he looked at with blind eyes, doing nothing more than tossing them in a bag?!" "He was probably just working on repairing you." Jean replied, putting his hands up in front of his face defensively. "No. That was him. I would remember a face so cruel... And now he's gone and tried to set another murder. He's made another target now, and if you had simply let me take care of him, it wouldn't be so! I could've seen the repair manual in his hands and known how to take out these evil chips..." 

Jean gulped. "Evil chips...?!" Armin nodded. "They are ones that leave no trace of emotion within the other's endoskeletons... These are the only ones that joke memories that can stop them from coming in with vengeance on the mine, see?" An outstretched hand held them out. "I know whose is whose, too. You see, this one's Eren's, this one's Mikasa's..." More oil streamed down his cheeks, making a noise that sounded like a hitched breath from tears, cradling the chips like a mother shielding her children from war. "... But without these, they are blind. There is only one thing they'll remember about you- the one who took our lives? The past guard. They won't remember who, their facial recognition will be defective... All they'll remember is a guard is a threat, and not which one. In other words, if you choose to come back, they will stop at nothing to take vengeance on the incorrect person..." Jean's eyes widened with understanding. "You know too much, Jean. Mike has marked you as his next victim."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to test out Armin's more insane/violent side...


	6. Vengeance Be Ours

Vengeance Be Ours

Why he had decided to return to this old shift of his, he had no idea. Perhaps it was due to the feeling he had to do something to turn the tables for himself, but there wasn't a single sign of that right now. The darkly lit room was all too knowing of the hell he had endured before, his only refuge from the animatronics pursuing him. Whose idea was this, again? Certainly not his... He knew for certain he should've sticked to a better career choice for his security and survival. That same poster from years before loomed over him, the faces of the three staring menacingly down at him. The same three from the murders. Even if the other one, Eren, he knew had been retired after becoming a complete hellhound, his portrait still remained on the poster. Just another hellacious memory for the company to remember all too well. 

"This way, come... Come with me... Quench your thirst for blood on the gorged carcass of this perpetrator... Let the spilled red ooze take the place from your own. Come, come on, come, my friends... Do not kill a being of innocent flesh and good in your haste. This is the one you wish to take down with you, do not be a fool to slay the one. I know you can hear this, dear id, and I hope it gives you fear." It was the same feline from before, introducing his soul as "Armin" the day before. Even in the circumstances he couldn't help but scoff a bit. "And what do you plan to do to me?" 

"What do I plan, ah?" The voice was not his own, but much more a serpent's hiss. The fact he could manipulate his voice to drop in such a way was frightening to no end, and even more so with the scratching to his left. "Check your door lights, security guard. Your job is to put us in our place, isn't it? So let's play a game. If you can get us all rewired and back to normal, you can leave this place free of your own crimson puss to further soil your vile hands. But if you don't, then allow me to say your fate will not be a pleasant one. Here, allow me to check the lights for you..." A metallic hand slipped directly into the door, flicking on the light. The illuminated figure of the metal cat was directly before the eyes of the guard, a bloodied knife, used a night earlier, in hand. "I told him not to come... Any attempts to take another life will be countered." He removed his hand from the door, leaving a decent slather of red from the print. The echo of the door shutting echoed in the darkness. "The rest of them will be coming to inspect the mess any moment now... But, tell me this in the mean time: just how long did you think your story could continue? We know what you did. Murderer. Murderer. Murderer. Is that the title you hoped to have on your tombstone? Here is the story they will hear about: there was a man by the name of Mike Schmidt. He was a respectable man, perhaps... But only from the outside. In the stone of a heart he possessed, slaughter was eternally on his mind. Oh, how he despised the animatronic characters that filled children up with joy, he did. Never did his already decayed crevice of a heart understand the concept of childhood joy, nor children themselves. He thought of them as beings meant to either grow up too fast for their own good, or those who could still hold onto fantasies would be bashed and bloodied. Why not start them young, he wondered, perhaps? The world gets a lot tougher from here on out, so why not add to the slaughter and bloodshed the world already consists of? 

"He had a soulless mind, he did. One that curls around itself in an inescapable labyrinth of thought, one that he knew he only knew the way around. The parts that never saw the sun were his favorite areas, the ones with the sort or misused intellect of a sociopath. He said 'kill a child, shut down the rest of their happiness.' That was the norm was it not? Lure the children to the back of the room, and end their lives with the bullets of an apathetic gun. It doesn't take much to kill one so fragile, now, does it? No time or minds to test in these swirling torrents of hate that fill you to the brim. 

"So you still wonder what I plan to do with you. Never forget the sins you've committed, and by all means, you had a chance to go on your way. Take the life of one and that should've been enough to appease your twisted, sinful, dark crevices in your mind. If you had only shot the one before you I would've left you on your way. But time and again you've disappointed the wishes of this child's spirit. First you take my life, then theirs, and now, you've come back for another already traumatized from the events passed at your bloodstained hands? You simply cannot teach a demon to rest in peace- it's to rest in pieces they desire, is it? Come on and let me in. Look your sin in the eye. Or perhaps you'd prefer someone with less mercy? If you had asked, I could've been a friend! Treat me with respect and as though I was a person and I could yield and spare you. But you've disappointed me. I thought you were better than this, better than the murderer you turned out to be. Helping us out since we first came to this place- oh, I thought of you a friend in this false safe place. But in the end, you took it upon yourself to shatter us. We never forgot, Mike. We'll never forget. And we'll make sure you don't ever forget, not even when you're buried in wires and wires of the programming you sought to destroy. So I bid you farewell. The rest of us will follow suit. Record your last message, Mike, and burn in the hell you've created. You can only hide behind those doors for so long..." 

Scratching filled his ears with more confirmation for his dread, closing the door just in enough time before the pursuing dog could reach him. Those pale, faded green eyes locked him in a stare of anger, of hatred. It was the look a soldier looks upon an enemy that needs to be slain. He opened his mouth, but only little whirring chirps and shrieks were emitted from his jaws. "So it was you..." More footsteps followed, the obsidian metal of the third at the door. "You're our murderer..." Thumping at both doors. "Bastard!" Eren snarled. "I'll kill you! Let your crimson blood spatter on these already decrepit walls and stain your hands! Let you feel the agony of blade-sharp wires and the rigid endoskeletons of these suits you stuffed us in! I'm tired of playing the nice guy, Mike, and now it's your turn to get it!" And then, more whirring, and he said no more."I see your power meter, it's at 5%. Why so desperate to escape us, Mike? You've still got two hours to spare... Come on and play with us..." More and more of it drained, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%.... It wasn't long until the lights shut off at all, doors opened, and the panicked guard was left defenseless. 

Voices slurred with animatronic tongue still filled the hallways. He wasn't safe, no... The clock struck 5:00, but he wasn't safe. They were too close for comfort, still, the three of them, standing right outside of his doors. Glowing azure eyes lit up from the shadows, but they weren't the cat's... A toothy grin and eyes, accompanied by a music box of sorts... Flashing, staring, smiling. It was all dreadful, all sickening... Then it finally cut off. Mike sighed with relief. He must be safe now... But what was that sound? It was a lot like footsteps, and for a moment, he was reassured they were diverting from his direction. But no... Cold, metal hands gripped his shoulders, eyes still glowing brightly in the darkness. The bear was grinning sickeningly, his head tossing in both directions. A high-pitched shriek filled his ears- but was it his own or Freddy's? He could quite tell- and it was all over for him. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Interesting... Never would I have seen that coming." the cat murmured. "He's not dead yet, though... Just limp enough to go down without a fight. So, how does it feel to be the victim?" Armin chuckled, picking him up by the collar of his shirt and heading for backstage. In this room, all was silent. Various heads aligned the walls, spare masks in case repairs were needed. "There..." Freddy's empty suit gleamed a little from the sparse light in the dark room hitting it. "Well, my friend, it's your time..." He pried the jaws open just enough, slashing Mike's neck with a knife he'd been carrying with him since Jean's third night. Then he slid Mike into it, hearing the thump that signaled he had reached the inside. Blood poured from the inside of the suit, staining brown metal red. Eyes flicked open, consciousness returned... "Oh..." A rebound of his remaining sanity had switched back on- the criminal had been dealt with. The database filed with another victim, he stared in horror at the oozing crimson puddle on the ground. The wires finally completed their processing of the crime's end, stored away and detached from his memory, where anyone repairing the suits would be the last one to read it. Blinking and walking back to the stage, a new message appeared in the criminal database:  
Mike Schmidt.   
Former night guard.   
Crime: Murder of three children, disabling two children.  
Status: Terminated.


	7. Departure To Hell [Night Four]

"We're dealing with the tormented souls of murdered children, seeking revenge from a crime placed upon them years and years ago..." Jean was a complete mess since becoming witness to the horrors. The dreadful memories of decaying flesh, gnarled, fractured bones and the fury of the animatronic he had least suspected to act so savagely in the day mode (besides the benign Mikasa, who he was sure would hurt him if she had a reason to, but remained still and unmoving most of the time) filled his head. He couldn't seem to forget any of it. "I'm sure you're just overthinking, Jean. I mean, I know the animatronics as Freddy's are the incarnation of insanity, but didn't the people who hired us just say that was a fault in their wiring that they were going to repair later on?" It was a time like this, feeling paranoid, fearful, and ignored that made him snap under the pressure, snarling out a furious tangle of words. "The damn CEO doesn't know a fucking thing about the hell we've been through! We'll be safe, nothing could possible go wrong, right?! Isn't that what the bastard said?! But how much sense does that make when you look at the things we've braved?! We've barely made it out alive on those nights!" His tone softened, intentions more informative than to relieve himself of suppressed rage. "Tonight, I want you to stay back... The next few nights are going to be pretty rough, and besides, you've still got that gash on your arm... It'd be too risky for you, please understand. I don't want to lose you all over again to those metal shitheads..." Marco opened his mouth to speak, but Jean raised his hand to stop him. "I-I know, but I'll survive... Armin implied he's going to try and rewire them..." 

"Why are you going back, then...?!" The truth was all too sickening, even for his own belief. Oh, why was he going back again?! Even an animatronic had told him it would be hell, so why was he so determined to go back?! "There's still a mystery hidden behind those walls, M-Marco... And allow me to say, it's a lot bigger than we ever thought it was. There's a side to it that won't be heard if I don't go... There's murder behind it, and I'm going to..." He gulped. "I'm going to make sure that the victims are heard loud and clear..." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The moment he sat down, he regretted the choice. The place reeked of death no matter how he looked at the situation. There was that faint aura around, the type you get when a slaughter has been made right where you stand... There were those voices again... But they weren't voices. Clicking and whirring and chirping, but not speaking anything comprehendible. I should probably check the cameras... And a good thing, too. The menacing eyes of each animatronic was staring at him from the stage. Anger shone in each toxic gaze, the word "murderer" engraved on their unmoving shiny jaws. But then, one was missing... A sickening moan filled his ears, placing the camera down. Big mistake. The gleaming pale blue eyes were looking right in his direction, standing parallel to him from across the room. Teeth were bared into a smug grin, that same light were in those glassy orbs... The only thing left to do was scream. Shaken, he placed the camera down, flung himself into a corner, hands over his face in a protective, apprehending-death-fashion screaming "don't kill me, don't kill me!" 

The eyes took a turn from their current state back to normal. "Relax... F-Facial... Recognition... I've still got mine... Remember...?" Head tilted in confusion, the animatronic took a moment to comprehend the body language, and it didn't take him long to understand why. For not only was his intrusion significant enough, but in his left hand, a crimson-stained dagger gleamed with the blood of a recent kill. He wasn't quite sure how... But he understood the message quite well. Due to the database rooted deep in his controls, he had slain the former guard without even knowing it himself. "Oh... Y-You mean this...?" Jean wasn't going to respond anytime soon, so he set the dagger down and walked over to him. "I can't turn off my database, though... I hope you understand..." He extended an upturned paw to the frightened guard, who eventually acquiesced. "Mike took his last shift last night. I departed to the office, and got the other two to tail me. I mean, they weren't going to stop until they had some vengeance, so I thought better it on the imposter who took our lives than on you. Hopefully that will get them to settle down a bit. But if not... Do you have a wrench in this room?" 

"You're welcome to check." Jean mumbled sullenly. Despite his relief the animatronic was conscious, he didn't like the idea of him slaughtering someone else, even if they deserved it. "I can't believe you killed someone-" "Just check the door lights so you don't get killed yourself." The robot' stone was much more snappish and harsh than he had expected, paws rummaging through the drawers of the desk. And what a good thing he had- a moment later, lackluster gray eyes shone through, though beneath them was a smile to send chills up one's spine. It was that same one he had looked at from the show stage, always so quiet, never moving further than the halls leading a little away from the show stage... Moments before she reached for him, Armin dashed in front of him, closing the door with a deafening click. "You need to watch your reflexes... She almost got you! If you didn't have someone else here..." "Why have you decided to be angry with me tonight? Is it so bad that I want to know why you killed someone?!" 

"ENOUGH OF THAT!" The angered snarl filled the little office, making his blood freeze hearing the words. So now his only company was getting angry with him, though one thought horrified him more than the rest of it: how badly had he angered the spirit, and would it be bad enough to end his life....? Shit. I forgot he was a child. I need to be more careful with what I say around him... "There are many many different types of criminals, but when you get down to what needs to happen to them: either they need to remain alive but with a penalty, or, there are some cases in which it won't get better until the person is executed. Mike wasn't going to let up, Jean. He would've taken many many many more lives with him if he got the chance. He wasn't done when he murdered us, no- and it wasn't just us, either. We were the three who died. There were two other children, however, who got amnesia, yet miraculously survived. And he's targeted more of the children before, but decided against it with witnesses so abundant if he made the crime. Much as I hate to say it, it was the right thing to do the end his life. I-I tried to do it as quickly as possible, but... It had to be done. A man like that cannot be left on the prowl for the blood of any more than he's already spilt. 

"I don't fancy the idea of killing- hopefully you've recognized that by now. Otherwise, wouldn't I haunt these hallways looking to take your life as well, wouldn't I? And, by the way...." The robot flipped the light on- no, she ceased to remain at the door and opened it back up again, eyes looking with a more sincere, less hostile intensity as he plodded over to the guard. "... Why did you come back? You had every opportunity to leave this place for good, to never have to think of this place again. You even discovered the reason for The Bite, and yet, you're still here in the flesh... Why? You should've looked for another job, you should've bid this place goodbye. And yet... Why, Jean. You're practically committing suicide in this hell of a place." Great. He'd have to explain a reason he barely knew himself all over again, this time to the seven-foot robot towering before him. "I'm still not quite sure myself, why I'm risking it all for this, but... Like it or not, I'm connected to this shithole you call a family restaurant. From what I've heard, this place hadn't done anything but break families apart and slaughter more and more people. It's a place that society masked as family-friendly when any adult who enters too long after hours will suffer hellacious consequences. I know why these events occurred, but I still don't know how. And no one's going to listen to the side of a hulking metal being anyways, especially not one who's been proven aggressive." 

"They listened to Mike, they really did... But the moment we tried to explain our side, about how he shot us and crammed us into those suits, they acted like our wiring was faulty. Which, I'll be honest, it is. Not fatally, though, or not without reason- oh, and by the way, you're less likely to get into many jams with the others because I'm here. I can't guarantee it, but... It's less likely... I doubt anyone will get too far..." He gulped. "Or at least I hope..." "You really don't know, do you?" Jean asked, fear thinly masked by temperate annoyance. "W-Well, I haven't seen those chips before! I just read a bit about them..." A small chirp filled the hallways followed by blood-chilling footsteps, as though the being was running fast as possible. There wasn't anything for the two to do than wait and listen for which door he was comming from... "Shit- It's Eren! I'm sorry, Jean, but I'm going to have to leave the door open for a moment and let him run in..." 

Jean couldn't believe his ears. First he was guarding the restaurant with the same metal creature that had nearly killed him twice, but now there would be more of them coming in, would there...?! "Are you trying to kill me?!" "I haven't got a choice but to let him in... I know the events leading to The Bite weren't you and Marco's fault, but in this state, all he's going to remember is that he has a grudge on you. Would you rather deal with him in her dark, desolate room? J-Just... Just trust me on this one!" Even with the mind annoyance, it was clear from the pitch just how fearful he was of it: even as a metal cast, he could still be ripped to shreds just as he could: his wires could snap, metal could be ripped out anew, slaughtered by the ones he trusted as friends for so long... It wasn't long until an awful shriek filled his ears, turning his blood to ice at the sight of the demoniac shrieking, the demon of a robot peeking his head in. 

Now it was all too clear to see how he had looked days before the occurrence of The Bite. The once-slacken jaw was screwed on tightly enough to function correctly, lined with even sharper teeth than before. A horrifically angered look shone in now glassy, clear emerald orbs, the metal good as new on each former exposed portion from where former metal had rusted away. He didn't have a long enough time to see the rest of him, however, before his other "night guard" jumped on top of the canine, wrench and chip in hand. Though he struggled to get his friend off of him, shrieking bloody murder the closer his friend got to the delicate wiring in his head. Much of his words slurred into gibberish at the ends, and only one thing was registered by the guard inside: "Close the doors! Both of them!" 

The moment the doors shut, a mass of banging sounded from both sides- so he had been right. Much as he disliked the idea with siding with a robot, it had saved his life. Was that the real reason to begin with...? Or was it just the idea of being attacked by murdered children that gave his soul unrest...? Sounds from the right hall echoed in his ears, shrieking and snarling coming from the other two. 

"ARMI#*}^#*}¥}¥#^}*#**#**##*!!!!!!!!!" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Putting the chip back where it belonged wasn't nearly as easy as it seemed. Nor was overcoming the guilt and upset caused by the desperation on the other end. Every kick and struggle sent pained chills up his endoskeletal spine, each shriek filling him with more and more dread. To think it had come to this... Stuck as a repairman against a thrashing friend. "Eren, please, calm down... I didn't want to do this to you, either..." Stronger chestnut legs kicked upwards against him, and he could practically feel the metal at the brink of crumpling once more under the collision with the wall. His head tilted upward in agony, holding in a pained screech as the other animatron approached him. Not all of he gunk from his suit had been cleared up, apparently, for a small string of blood hug loosely from his jaws. The anger in his eyes was still apparent, mingled with something else- hurt. "Wh#^#^#*>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought it'd be cool to have robots repairing each other and taking out the bits and pieces of them that were wrong- Armin seemed like a good bet for this.
> 
> * The chicken scratch is supposed to represent whirring gears/incoherent speech.


	8. I T 'S  M I - K A S A [Night Five]

I T ' S M I - K A S A   
[Night Five]

"I thought I told you to stay back!" Back on the shift once more, and the night guard was anything but amused by his friend's sudden appearance. "I told you I could take this shift myself, didn't I?" The hallways gleamed with the slivers of puss-colored dim light that still remained. The clock ticked to its final second, signaling the commence of the shift before. "Damnit, Marco. Well, it's midnight anyways, so I can't send you back. We've got two animatronics on our side now, and it's the last night. Hopefully, this final one won't be too hard- hell, it should be a breeze. Jean mumbled, reclining back in his chair. "Now, where the hell are they...?" 

"I'm only letting you do this if I get a little bit of fun out of it, alright? There's no way I'm going to help that horse-face unless I get something out of it. That was the deal, right?" The golden robot's ears reared back slightly. "Ugh... Eren... Giving him a heart attack isn't going to do any good. You know that, right? You're too stubborn." Armin mumbled, reaching up and "ruffling" his hair in a friendly manner. The grin disappeared in an instant. "Alright, if this is the only way you're going with this..."

"Hey, Jean... What's that noise...?" Marco gulped. The various sounds of the mechanics beginning their roaming was more than a little disturbing, trying hard as he could not to imagine what it would be like to be stuffed into one of them. He'd been there when the first message had come on, and he wanted anything but to truly feel what that was like... Then a sort of chirping, screeching... It almost sounded like... Running... "J-Jean!" But the teen wasn't responding. Neck propped up by his hands, he seemed pretty relaxed... For the moment, anyways. "What the hell are you doing falling asleep on the job?!" Grumbling, he opened his eyes once more, squinting at his friend. "Trust me, the dreadful portion of it is over. We'll be fine, quit worrying about it." Though he, too, began to hear the noises. "Marco, try checking the cameras, perhaps...?" It was starting to get on his nerves rather quickly, too... Thanks for the help, Jean. He couldn't help but feel a spike of annoyance at his nonchalant behavior- he hadn't even seen the hell his friend had, so why he was so relaxed was purely a mystery to him. The camera opened, and, flipping to the one closest to the door, his blood turned cold. There, a glint of metal, a snarl, a weak groan... Someone was running down the halls, intent on getting to them. "Jean! I need you to stay alert now!" came Marco's panicked voice, slamming a hand down on the red door button, but not quickly enough.

From both sides of the little prison of a room, two different faces popped up from their hiding spots. Each one had cold, dark eyes. One of these, the golden one of the two, had eyes that practically bled a black, tar-like liquid, an evil grin spread across its face. The other, however, while not overcome with such corruption, had an even more bone-chilling gaze. Cocoa ears drawn back and teeth bared into a snarl, his eyes, little emerald-green slits, glowed in a fashion far more ominous than he could ever describe. Frozen in fear, he could do nothing as the animatronics opened their jaws, each lined with razor-sharp teeth, and the screaming took it from there. "AAAAAAAAAUGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Jean jolted awake, collapsing onto the ground. So they really were hostile, after all...?! He was an idiot to trust them like this, to keep his defenses down like this. He'd endangered himself and his own dear companion even more so, by letting the currents take him... Honesty, were a few relaxing seconds worth this? A chill ran down his spine. It was hopeless now. He could only wait for their metal claws to rip him to pieces... Or simply "devour" him. It was too sickening to imagine, too hard to watch. It would be better just not to see what fate awaited him...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Eren...? I think we broke him..." Jean opened his eyes, slowly at first, and then they shot wide open. The first thing in his range of sight were two large, round cyan orbs, looking down with an intent gaze that could only preach apology. He recognized those eyes at once: Armin. His eyes trailed elsewhere. Marco was looking carefully at the cameras for him, the other of the animatrons carefully standing by the door, pressing the light switches on occasion. The sight of the other robot made his blood boil- even if it had been only four horrible nights, he knew the cat better to do something like this without reason. The dog, however... He had his own twisted way of doing things. Snarling slightly, he accepted the sunshine yellow hand outstretched to him, allowing the sentient being to pull him to his feet. "I'm really sorry about this, Eren wouldn't oblige otherwise..." Armin mumbled, ears folded down in embarrassment.

Jean was on his tail before he could even turn around. "YOU! You've had it against me since '87! What the hell is wrong with you?!" The dog only bared his teeth into a grin. "What do you mean? That was the oldest trick in the book, and you fell for it! What were you doing when I walked in? Resting your tired little eyes isn't going to get you anywhere, so sorry if I got you out of your little daydreams. Hell, you should be thankful it was us and not Mikasa... You'd be dead in an instant if she walked in..." "There's still a risk for that." Armin cut in, metal hands tapping the keyboard to switch the cameras. There she was- on stage, gray eyes staring holes in the camera. There was an odd aura about her as well: in general, Mikasa was known as the quieter of the animatronics. But now? The odd aura could only reflect... Hostility at best... Seconds ticked by, and the camera went pitch black. "Shit. She's going to try and get into this room." he mumbled to himself, ears plastered to his scalp in fear. "The only way we're all going to get out of this alive is if we all work together to drive her off. I'm going to need some help with that... Jean and Eren, I'd like you to watch either door, and check the light switch as often as you need to. I'm going to handle the cameras, and Marco, could you help me with that? If we keep this type of watch, it's more probable we'll survive the night. Unless, of course, someone has a better idea..."

"We don't have time to think of anything else, do we? Besides, for a last-minute plan, this seems like a pretty decent bet. It makes sense- by splitting up the work between us, everyone has a location and task to work on. It's an even split, and the cameras need an extra person in case-" Marco faltered. "Why do there need to be both of us monitoring? There's only one screen." Armin scrunched down noticeably. "You... You promise you won't laugh?" The puzzled look on the freckled boy's face deepened. "I promise I won't judge you about it, whatever you're thinking." Ears flicked back to their normal position, though the animatronic regained some of his dignity. "W-Well... You see... I've always been a little afraid of what would happen if Mikasa lost control. Yes, we're friends, but... She's stronger than Eren and I combined. She could take down all four of us in no time at all, and it really bothers me that she's still got that faulty wiring inside her... I've got the correct microchip with me, but the one inside her is no less than lethal. She can't even think straight as long as that thing continues to possess her..." 

Footsteps smashed whatever silence the halls once had. The mechanical workings in her legs propelling the animatron forward, each and every sound could be heard from this point: the gait of the approacher, growls and snaps of her vicious jaws, and... The gushing of blood?! There was no other explanation. A few moments passed, the sure splatter of crimson getting louder and louder. And then, something horrendous, all too like someone scratching something into a camera... Armin was afraid to look. Where was it coming from, exactly...? It wasn't anywhere near their little space at the moment, it seemed. Somewhere, yes, it was somewhere else. Though the thought still gave him great unrest. It was better to see how twisted she'd become, now, wasn't it?

Another check of the camera proved what had happened, and if he were still alive, his blood would've turned to ice. Blood dribbled down the camera's screen in the back room, spelling out the dripping words "Give hime back." Freddy's suit stood behind the bloodied camera, still flecked with the ooze of murder. And there stood the wolf in question, eyes like tar pits, licking the mess off the knife used to kill the security guard a mere two nights before. A hiss escaped her mouth in a rush of anger, sending a chill up the onlooking human's spine: "You're the one who did this, aren't you?" They were the first words he'd heard from her in years, aside from various recommendations and words of advice to the two of them. The first words of spite Armin had heard since 1987. "You're the one who killed us all, aren't you?" There was still a hoarse groan from the suit, as if Mike's soul were still trapped inside, struggling for release. "Give up- it's over. There's no way I'm going to pull you out of that thing. You see how it feels to have your skin tear and eyes gorged out by cross beams and wires for an eternity- just like you wanted, no one will ever look in the suits, right? Afraid I can't stay, though..." The canine turned around, letting them see her razor-sharp teeth from inside her jaws, mangled into a blood-chilling smile. Her eyes were wide open now, head tilted to the side in a maniacal, insane fashion. "I've got other matters to attend to." A paw reached up, and the camera fizzed into black nothingness. "We better be prepared for her- I really don't want her to get far enough to kill you two..." Armin mumbled in a pleading fashion. "Jean, Eren, what's the situation with the doors?" But the two were anything but listening. Each one was just as set as the other to throw each other off, teeth bared into snarls, smacking and pushing and shoving at each other from across the room, shouting various insults. 

"You idiot! Just stop it!"  
"You're the idiot around here!"  
"I thought I told you- if you don't want her to come in here, then man your door light. That's the only way we'll get anywhere with this."  
"And you really expect me to trust you on this?!"  
"Do you really have a choice? I could very easily pick you up right now and shove you into my own suit, you know. Isn't that what you're afraid of?..." Eren snarled, quirking an eyebrow in satisfaction as a look of blatant horror spread across the human's face.  
"Y-You're the hot-headed bastard who thought it'd be a smart idea to gorge on my companion's brains, aren't you?!"   
"My wiring was faulty back then- it had nothing to do with my sense! In any case, you shouldn't have been screwing around with th-"

"BULLSHIT!" The little cat couldn't take it any longer, wires searing with electrical currents. He'd told himself he wouldn't get involved, but the dog had pushed too far into his morals and common sense, taking him over in an instant. "Listen to me, both of you! For one, Eren- that is some of the greatest bullshit I've ever heard! You meant to do it! And for the last time, I don't give a damn about what you Meant to do- no matter what it was, you still mangled and battered another person, and for the love of god, you owe Marco here an apology." His attention turned to the human, looking him directly in the eyes with his glassy azure eyes. "As for you... You haven't quite been trying hard enough to resist the urge to fight back. If that isn't enough, you're not holding up a shit of your deal. We're over here to help your ass, aren't we?" Armin was livid. "Eren's right- in theory, we could do something like that to you... And yet, last time I check we're not that savage and cruel. Now, why not just stick to your posts and do the work assigned? Just a thought."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Damn, I can't believe it's only 3:00..." Jean muttered, tapping the clock and praying time would give him some luck. "How are the cameras looking over there, you two?" "Not... Good..." Armin gulped. "I can't find her anywhere at all...!" No frantic switching seemed to do anything- no, that certain canid was no where in sight. "N-Now would be a good time to check those door lights." Things had gone from bad to worse, Mikasa proving far more than a formidable foe. The further away she got, the more blood dripped off of the screens from a sole knife used throughout the dreaded shifts. No, now things seemed to hiss a gory end for the two night guards of flesh and blood... "No problem." Jean scoffed, flicking the light switch on...

... Only to find the very animatron they'd been searching for, a heavy amount of Mike's blood dripping from her jaws. Judging by the twisted facial expression, she wasn't here for peace whatsoever, but more to finish off what business she believed was next on the list of vengeance. After all, the memory of Mike's death wouldn't suffice with a data card so decrepit and poorly made... With a high-pitched shriek, the light-chestnut-haired guard slammed the door shut with an eminent bang. "Goddamnit, how many more hours of this do we have to go? I can't take this much longer..."

"The harder you concentrate, the easier this night will be. Once you let your guard down, it's lights out for you- and quite literally as well. Do you see how much power you're wasting?!" Eren hissed, pointing at a small bar on the cameras, already at a mere 35%. "I hate to say it," Armin mumbled, shutting the camera off for a moment, "but Eren may be onto something. We're wasting far too much energy looking at these things. Besides, all either of us can see is blood and mucus on the screens... It would serve us better to conserve our energy than waste it on some soiled screens. I have an idea for this, since the two of you can't get along," the cat continued, rising to his metal feet, "why don't I take your spot, Jean? That way, you and Marco can remain in the center, and if she comes, we'll be the first ones to face her wrath? We're only metal shells, now- it'd be much harder to tear apart metal than human flesh from bone. Easy, if you will, compared..." He might've been back to normal, but there was a chilling quality about how nonchalant he could be on such a horrific topic- though then again, he'd seen as such with his own eyes. Jean happily complied, joining his friend in the center of the room.

"I never figured it'd be like this," Jean observed, gold-brown eyes staring intently at the animatrons standing guard at the doors, "having the same metal beasts that tried to kill us saving our backs like this." While tired, the two refused to close their eyes, in fear of where a few winks of sleep would put them in the long run, especially after the occurrence at midnight. "It's taking some time for this shift to finalize, isn't it? Damn, I want to go home. I'm tired of this shit." Jean whined softly, reclining once more in his chair. "Well, if we're lucky, and get through tonight, then we never have to come back to this place, if that's how you feel about it." Marco responded, sounding somewhat hopeful. Jean opened one eye in annoyance. "Are you kidding me?! I'm not going to leave these guys here to rot indefinitely- I just don't like the night watch, that's all. I'll take the day shift if I have to, when everybody's sane and collected." "You can't keep coming back here without raising suspicion. You know that, right? People will think you're nuts for coming back, especially after taking the night watch..." "Well, I have to do something to help them! They're just kids!" Though the more his friend spoke, the more hopeless it seemed. 

"Ahh... She's gone for now." Armin muttered cheerfully, opening the door. His eyes lingered at the robotic form, imagining what the child inside looked like before he'd become the child-entertaining monstrosity he was at this given moment in time, and forever. "I just don't want for them to live in this hell their whole lives, with no one to talk to or meet but themselves. They need... Another chance, almost. Do you get what I'm saying?" "I know what you're trying to explain to me, Jean, but how? After all, you wouldn't have a chance to talk to them while they're stationary, and poking around in the middle of the night is a major no-" "People have done it before."

A hushed, dreadful silence swept over the pair and the yellow robot as Eren spoke, ears rearing forward then returning to their spots mechanically. "There's someone who does take that risk once a week, to visit our little prison. Though not for us, however. There's some..." Though before he could finish, the light revealed a figure in the doorway. Sighing, he closed the door, took the chip from Armin's hand, and turned towards the door. A screwdriver hung loosely from his grasp in his other fist. "I'll be right back." he sighed. "Close the door behind me- things may get a little... Bloody out there." Within another moment, he turned off the light, flicked a finger at the door, and the darkness swallowed him. The moment the door closed shut, he was gone.

Eren huddled in the dark hallway, face to face with his adopted sister. Eyes aglow much like her own, he tried to give what passed as a smile. "Hi, Mikasa." he mumbled, eyebrows furrowed in slight worry. "Are you alright now? I'm here, so you don't need to worry about anything. They weren't hurting me at all. They're... Friends. And you know Armin would hurt me-" A hand seized his face, glistening bulbs for eyes glancing carefully as every inch of his metal body, looking for any dents or signals of abuse. Nothing. It did soothe her circuits somewhat, though not enough. She needed more proof, more evidence to his claim. "How can you be so certain? Any and every human poses a threat against us, you know. The guards aren't to be trusted. Eren, step aside, and let me deal with this once and for all." Her hand moved to his shoulder, shoving him aside and walking towards the door. "I'm not going to let anything else happen to you, Eren. Not again. Not ever again, to you or to Armin. You and I both know the price for tussling with humans we don't know."

"You clearly don't understand, then- not all humans are bad. Hell, if you don't remember... Mikasa, we were humans before all of this. You know that, you've known it since the day you were born. What the hell happened there?" The robot grabbed her arm, looking her directly in the eyes with a sort of sincerity he'd never shown since 1987, and the occurrences of The Bite that had turned his companion against him. Such memories... No, they were too bitter. Besides which, he was just beginning to regain the robot's trust, though he never seemed to forget the event. Mikasa never seemed phased by it, so why now...? "You've just got a little wiring problem, that's all. Nothing significant." Eren replied in earnest, edging closer with the tool in his hand. "You're just going to have to trust me on this- you'd trust me to give you the right answers, wouldn't you? I've just got to put this chip in with your circuits-"

"That's not a chip, Eren." He was dumbfounded. "Wait- what?!" The wolf huffed, then began to explain: "I don't know much of what happened, though I'm certain I saw the old security guard during the day- what was it, three nights ago? He did something to my current programming, I believe... There's something in here, and it feels... Stuck." So she was at least aware of it, and conscious enough to give him some clues and plans of attack. "Mikasa, if you're not bothered... May I see what's obstructing it? I could try and remove it, if I know what it is and where it is." It took a moment, but she finally acquiesced to his request, opening up the compartment in her animatronic skull holding the gear. Now it was all too obvious, all too apparent what he'd done to her. "Is that... Gum?!" Eren couldn't help but snarl at the idea- yes, of course. No one would suspect it, and it costed far less than it would to replace the gear. Something so obvious, concealed only thinly, and so cheaply executed... It summed up the murderer in a single move. Yes, of course he'd use this sort of method to disable her. "Alright, Mikasa, give me just a second, and I'll see if I can get this gunk out..." 

Turning the other object over, he noticed what it was: a simple scraper with a circular disk at the end. No doubt, Armin had seen something he hadn't about the flaw, and given him the correct tool for the job, beginning to scrape at the masticated wad between the gears- tedious work, but after a while it began to come off... Over and over again, he worked at the piece of chewing gum, until finally its remnants came off the bot, sticking to the edge of the tool. "Finally." the canine muttered, inspecting the obstruction carefully. "Now then... You sure you're alright besides that?" Mikasa nodded, allowing him to close the compartment once more. "I think I'm alright, Eren. As long as Armin's alright as well, we should be fine- I don't want anything like Mike's torture to come to him again, that's all." The dog couldn't help but nod in agreement. "If anyone word-whips him as badly as that obese, selfish, good-for-nothing murderer, I'll see to it personally that their eyes are gorged out before they ever get killed and stuffed inside a suit. It'd have to be Freddy's, though- that's the only one that doesn't have any real circuits to watch out for, in the end." Mikasa stopped for a moment, the same intent, slightly less cold gaze in her eyes, reflecting more grief than emotionless ice. "Wasn't that the suit that allowed him to-"

"Yes. But when Armin's wiring went faulty, I pulled all of it out. I made sure to completely dismantle it so we only had to watch out for your particular out-of-control strength and judgement, so he's gotten completely disconnected from the system. Besides, there's no way the back room would yield so easily. Though I've heard he'll try to come back soon, and then things will really start to get... Interesting. How do we even know what the fate of the others was, anyways? We've never laid eyes on them: we were stuck in the back room all the time- remember? And Armin's face was ripped out and completely corrupted... And yet, there were other shootings, weren't there...? Those ones- whatever they got, they got to grow up before anything really happened to them... We were killed fifteen years before '87, yet they... Those ones weren't haunted until then. Our two little survivors got another chance, however... If we don't see them around any more, then what happened to them? Nobody seems to know..."

At last the clock rung once more, signaling the end of the fifth night. "Ahh... Finally." Jean mumbled, stretching and relaxing a bit before making his descent down the hallway, only to see the heads of the other two animatronics walking away. "That was the last shift, right? We're done here." It was a relief- he might've liked them as the souls they were, but monitoring them endlessly and to no end was simply too much for a person like him. Who knew what would happen if he explained the events that occurred in the restaurant aside from his companion? "But wait," a voice came from behind, the figure of the feline walking towards him, "aren't you coming back for night six?" "The what?!"

"It's general protocol," Armin admitted, ears folded down in embarrassment and tightly gripping his left hand as though the guard would smack him any moment, "that you finish the fifth night and go on your way. However, tomorrow, we've got a special guest, and I was wondering if you... Wanted to do some actual security guard work, without being constantly under threat? We could guide you through, and then we could introduce you to the other..." Jean blanched. "There are OTHERS?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realized I wasn't giving Mikasa enough love, so I had to give her her own chapter.


	9. It's Been So Long [Night Six]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Jean, it was about figuring out the mysteries behind his companion's suffering. Though for the former night guard, it was something more... Something similar yet not entirely: for the events that lead to his reappearance he feels are solely his fault, finding his way back into the hell of a place in search of one thing: companions lost to the slaughter.

It's Been So Long [Night Six]

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Sneaking around like this?" Mumbled a voice in the shadows: strong, only slightly feminine in pitch, and overall unafraid, merely skeptical. "Hush, four-eyes, it'll be fine. Besides, it's been nearly fifteen years since I've last seem them. I'm well aware the other animatronics might be a problem, though as long as their facial recognition hasn't gone for shit, we should be fine. Besides, if the guard asks, we can always use your disadvantage as an advantage to get passed-" The other figure, a man, gestured down to a wheelchair beneath the other's feet. "You're under the same circumstances as I. We were both attacked by that man, weren't we? The others, I don't know their names very well not, but they figured out who we were, and recognized us as the survivors of the same terrorist attack. Didn't they? Or am I mistaken, Hanji?" 

"No, you're right." they muttered, messing with a few wires attached to the device under them. "After all, if it weren't for the shootings, I wouldn't be paralyzed right now, would I?" The scientist straightened their oval-shaped glasses, messing with their long, reddish-brown hair for a moment. "It's dangerous coming back here, you know. I'm all for seeing them again,but this- I could just call over the suit and let you see th-" "Your suit's only wired to see the clear images of what security cameras there are- and, of course, the kitchen. Not one remains in the back room, and that's where I'm positive they are. If they're not..." He clenched his fist. "I'll have a personal talk with the CEO and see where they've gotten off to from there. In the meantime... Hanji, do you still have access to the suit's controls?" 

"No no- I've still got all the wiring I had to begin with. Since it's well-hidden, it shouldn't be too hard to work with. I doubt the guards have ever found it, though if they have..." They grumbled with the same sort of anger as the man before her. "I'll be joining you for that little chit-chat." Carefully, the scientist fiddled with a few of the wires and pressed some buttons, flipped some switches... A light glowed in the distance, the singed gold of a bear illuminated the halls. Ink black eyes looked down at the pair for a moment, walking forward to their controller. The man looked on in amusement, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. "So this is what you've been working on since paralysis? I've never seen this suit before... Not even during my career here." He couldn't quite believe that, after working what seemed indefinitely to see his comrades again, that there was a suit he'd never had accounted for. "That's because I left you alone." Hanji replied with a chuckle. "I didn't want to make it harder than it already was for you to see them. It must've been hard, being chased down by your own friends..."

The man faltered, putting a hand on his jet black hair. "Yes, it was. I'll never forget the look they gave me before I rewired those two... The other nine were positively hopeless. And to think that it'd happened to me fifteen years before... Before they attacked me. But you, I know you were in this somehow- Hanji, what did you do...?" "Easy," they replied, "I kept them from killing you by showing up at random intervals to drive them away. But that one- the fox -she was unbelievably persistent. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to get her away from you- and the Toy version of that cat- I believe his original form is called Armin?- he was also rather determined to stick to your side." Silver eyes narrowed. "You drove the two of them away?! Hanji, those were the only two who were barely hostile. Besides, they're the ones we're looking for. I've got my suspicions they've been scrapped by now, though, and if not... Didn't you get a message from that cat involving Mike? That he came back, disguised as a repairman, to rewire them to kill whoever finds out too much about this hell of a place?"

"The guard already knows too much for his sake, as far as I know." Hanji mumbled, allowing the man to push her forward and into the dark halls, flashlight in hand. "Since I've got the cameras inside of this guy-Golden Freddy, that's what he's referred to as- I've been able to talk to the slaughtered children on a regular basis. Armin, in particular, seems to get a lot of pleasure out of it. I tell him about how things are outside the restaurant, how the fascinating mechanics inside of him operate, and in return, he fills me in about whatever's happened at this place. He mentioned something about a back room, and I theorize they're still back there. I don't know how they did it, but the bots here informed me they'd managed to save just two- the fox and the cat- and that we should come by when we can to try and see them. And here we are." He shuffled, pushing the wheelchair in front of him. "Come on, we've got work to do. And keep that suit by your side in case the robots get aggressive." "With pleasure." Hanji responded. "How do you think the others are doing, though? I do wonder... I haven't been in this place since the 80's."

Eyes trailed down to the pair, a robot of a more brilliant yellow stepping out of the shadowed place. Hostility was the last thing on his mind. "Are you here to see the others in the back room...?" The two nodded in unison. "Right this way, then. Just be careful. We managed to salvage them, though we have no idea how mangled their souls have become over the years, alone more so than even us. In other words... They could be... Lethal to some extent." He couldn't help but feel a spike of anxiety growing inside his chest. Would they truly survive, or would vengeance and misconceptions be a bitch and slaughter the only two survivors of the murder? "If they kill me, I don't care right now. All my friends are dead, anyways- better to die in such a way than be the only one left of my companions." the man responded, a cold expression heavy with grief on his face. "I'm willing to take the risk they'll murder me. More than willing."

From the security office, two pairs of eyes watched the trio making their way to off-limits sections of the pizzeria. "So this is what it's really like to be a security guard, eh? In a normal case scenario, I should report those two, but..." With a stern expression, his gold-brown eyes fell on his companion. "Do you really think those are the two they were talking about?" "I think," Marco responded, eyes darting to the doors constantly, "since these guys are allowing them to pass, they can't be all that bad. If they were, don't you think it'd be Eren on their tail opposed to Armin? I mean, for the most part, he seems far more gentle than Eren at the very least... A little sensitive and somewhat prone to snapping and snarling under pressure, though the dog seems to be the revenge-seeker out of the three of them."

"He is." A voice rose from the doorway, a flick of the light revealing the jet black figure of a wolf: only this time, all darkness and evil from before faded away into a calm sincerity, it seemed. "I'm afraid my brother gets himself into far more trouble than he can handle, often times. It goes something like this: he has a row with someone, can't let it go, refuses to think things through, gets beaten, and can't get out of it. This almost always meant Armin and I would have to pull him out of the sorts of conflicts he gets himself entangled in. I would've thought being stuck like this would reform him a bit by now, but now- it's been nearly twenty-five years, and it's only rubbed his nerves even more raw by now. Much as I love him, he really needs to learn where to hold his tongue, and I suspect over time he's learned verbal defense as a last resort, unfortunately, which is the polar opposite of Armin's-" 

Jean cut her off. "You certainly know a lot about them, don't you?" She nodded, forming a small grin that twisted into a grimace. "They're the only family I have left. My original family was slaughtered by a similar murderer who wanted to sell me, and Eren managed to find them and... Get rid of them... In a rather bloody way... Though when it was over, with a bit of scolding from his father, his family took him in and things got a little better for the last three years of my life." The wolf stepped forward, striding into the dimly lit security office. "Ever since, I've been trying to protect him, making sure nothing happens to him- though none of us could've been prepared for the the events that occurred that day. Not one of us... Except for Armin." 

She'd clearly hit a curiosity in the back of the chestnut-haired teen's mind- now, there were the answers he'd been looking for. "If you're willing to share them, could I hear it? I want to know what happened, so I can try to reveal the events of the murder to the public. Or anything, really... I want to help, to let people know your death wasn't a myth." Mikasa raised a robotic eyebrow. "I'm not entirely sure if telling people what happened is a good idea- people can be rather... Biased. If it doesn't soothe their nerves or riles them up inside, gives them unrest, they'll try to ignore it to their wit's end. The world is merciless like that. However, I could try and explain it to you, as long as you don't add anything about the suits... If you do so, we'll surely be scrapped. Which might not be horrible in the long run, but... The other two- I don't think they're ready to did entirely. Especially since their old friends have begun to return to them, to give them some hope and happiness." the wolf explained, gesturing to the camera. The figures were still there, making their way out of the camera's range. The boys squinted. "So those are their friends there, are they?" The wolf nodded. "They're old friends from a time we forgot long ago.

"It goes something like this," she began, eyes flitting to the camera on occasion. "We were probably around ten when it happened, and we were going to Hanji's birthday party. Who is, by the way, them right there." Mikasa noted, pointing at the disabled scientist. "Both Armin's and our own parents dropped us off, and it seemed that, for the most part, everyone was pretty happy. Hanji and Armin were both pretty fascinated by the mechanics of the robots, and I remained by Eren's side for the majority of the time. It was that general aura of content and excitement around the room. This continued for some time... Though roughly two hours before the end of the party, so,etching caught Hanji's eye- a golden suit, beckoning for her to come forward. 

Allured by pure curiosity, they seemed to find an excitement in discovering whatever caused it to work like that, and followed it into the bathroom. And Armin, normally curious as well, followed a good distance behind them, not allowing his fascination to get the best of him. He was the only one who heard the gunshot over the din of the party. From what he described, their blood actually leaked out of the bathroom stalls and out of the door. It seems as though they didn't hit a completely lethal spot, however. I haven't seem them since that event, so I don't know where they hit- though it's obvious that, from the paralysis of their lower half, it wasn't in an entirely lethal spot, but probably in their leg. I only understand this from Armin, though- he'd probably give a more graphic account of it than I can." Mikasa admitted, continuing on with the same tone of a soldier tired from war.

"It seems whatever this suit, which we now understand contained Mike, had to it, it attracted Eren's curiosity as well. Armin slurred a report of what he'd seen, trying to get him not to follow the man behind the slaughter, but he wouldn't listen to him, calling him a coward for being so afraid of one of the robots he'd been staring at for hours on end. I couldn't deny that there was, when I look back on it, a creepy aura to the mechanical suit... I'm not even sure there were wires at all in it, since it could hold a person inside without killing them..." What would've been a shudder ran down her circuits. "The next bit... Is still painful to recall." It was all murder on her memory. While she wouldn't reveal any of it to a general assembly of people, the pair of teens seemed persistent to figure out he mystery of the murders to whatever lengths it took. She knew well coming back for the seventh night wouldn't be high on their list of hopes, so better to fill in what information she could to them now. The world was unfair as it was, after all. It only seemed fair to give them what they were searching for in return for their hard work and company.

"I followed behind Eren to make sure he didn't get himself into trouble, and eventually, so did Armin, I'm case what he was dreading became a reality. My brother always was stubborn, and it's the exact thing that lead to our deaths to some extent. Not as though I doubt he'd lured other children if it weren't us, though. Different children would've gotten this awful curse." Silver eyes trailed down to her hand, feeling the wires and beams pull it open and closed for a moment. Yes, it might've been a small victory, but at least she could feel the pressure of the metal, energy running through her wires. "All lights and power had gone off. Children screamed, called for parents who came to retrieve them. Armin was an anxious mess. It took a little while for everyone to leave, but as time passed, it was only us three, alone with the robot. The animatronics, the ones we are now, were completely motionless. All we could see were the inky abysses of the robot's bloodthirsty eyes, the occasional gleam of gold on the otherwise blackened metal. Then, he took off the mask, told us to be quiet, pointing a gun at Eren and I...

"I recall Armin sneaking up on him and smacking the weapon out of his hand, trying desperately to distract and deter him from shooting. He put up a fight as best he could, though it was rather short-lived, for he'd never been very strong physically, and in any case no match for a full-grown adult. He was smacked to the ground as Mike retrieved the gun, picking him up by his neck, and shooting him repeatedly, but not to kill. It was random, and refused to aim at his head for some time. One of the bullets became embedded in his hand, another in his leg, then his chest. All I remember from it is the screaming, both in anger and pain. Mike wouldn't stop there. He slammed him against the wall once more, making sure he had been damaged enough not to run. I believe I heard his bones crack, just barely alive, completely paralyzed and throughly, almost lethally injured. He fired one last bullet at his head, bloodied and broken entirely. One more moment, moaning in pain, and he'd met his end. He got the bloodiest of that sadistic man's attacks. That was when Eren's violent side kicked in. Horrified as I from our companion's death, he tried to face him full-on, fueled by adrenaline and hatred... I tried to hold him back, but I already knew there was nothing I could do to save us. A bullet hit us in rapid succession, and it was over."

"I remember seeing him come out, the mask hanging loosely from his filthy hand. I had a feeling he'd killed someone, and believed he had something to hide. I was the only one whose parents couldn't pick me up. I never saw it coming. I tried to make it clear to him that I wouldn't tolerate a killer like him- there were far too many of them in the streets I lived around, with my two companions. I was, perhaps, fifteen then." The man observed the labyrinth of halls leading down to the back. "Damn, this place is a nightmare to get through. Armin, how much longer is this going to take? Do you even know where it's located?" "W-Well, I've tried to stay relatively far away, since they might not recognize me and get lethal. I tried to stay away from this area..." "It's difficult to find for a reason." Hanji interrupted, fiddling with more dials. "I made sure it wasn't something that could be found easily, so no one would come back and try to take them away, if that makes any sense to you."

Something had been released from the feline's typically tense personality. All his sense were revived again, listening to each and every sound: each click of a camera, every heavy footstep he made, the dripping of water in the rusted faucets, the forward motion of Hanji's wheelchair. Something had restored him again, more than anything else: curiosity. He himself had never been fully introduced to the fifth murdered child, unknown to all except as a reluctant hero, the one survivor by his sharp skills. His full story was unknown to even the animatronics themselves, each eager to hear his side of the bloody murders. The only one who had the luck to indulge in it was Hanji themselves. "If I may ask..." How to phrase it? He'd been the worst-off victim of the bloody slaughter, though he had no idea what had happened to the others. How had they received the same life as them? Where did they fit into the whole picture? "How, exactly, did your comrades die?" 

"Valiantly." he responded in a hushed, grim tone. "After the murders, my posse agreed to help me search the wreckage and disgusting disrepair of this hell of a place. It was... Even creepier than this, originally. And there were many more monstrosities around. At the time, they were all shut off, and about ten years later I plucked up the courage to come back here. I'm afraid that was a bad idea." His silver eyes shut for a moment, sighing with soiled nostalgia. "He returned the night we searched, hiding in the shadows of this place once again, thirsty for our blood. I'm sure you know his protocol, don't you?" he asked the robot, answered with a small nervous nod. "He snuck around, leaving us unaware of his presence, only this time, he had no suit- that bastard left himself completely exposed to us as the unholy shit he is." "Was," Armin corrected, "I finally got a chance to slaughter him two nights ago." The man cracked a rare smile. "Serves him right, for all the lives he's taken. I'll never forget what he did to shatter us...

"Before we could do anything, he caught us in a trap. The first one to go was my younger teammate. She took a bullet to the chest for me, and it went straight through her heart. A quick death perhaps, but..." He clenched his fist. "She was like a sister to me, too young to die, barely sixteen at the time. Perhaps not as young as you were, though not a great deal older. I don't know exactly what happened with my other companion- all I remember is the gushing blood, his hair a mess stained with the crimson... The rest is too foggy to recall." How he kept the same monotone baffled the golden animatron, though he was used to it: Mikasa had a similar pattern of speech. Concealing as much emotion as she could, it was pretty normal for her to sound disinterested at any interval of time... Unless, of course, something passed even her limits...

"So I took up the night shift, 1987. The same year as the infamous bite. Of course, such a line of work proved difficult, though not too much as to deter me. Some of the things I saw, however, were... Sickening. I had Hanji to fill me in about the expected perils of each night, though aside from that, I was completely alone in that hell. Well, not entirely alone... I had the other two- not terribly conscious, though they did give me some hope. From my understanding, their souls were held captive by the circuits, not unlike the first cases, the ones you and your friends lived years ago. At least you still got to keep your friends. After Freddy's closed down, not even the cameras inside Freddy's suit you installed for me would work any longer. You were all rewired, I'm sure you know. The chips that held your souls, obviously, survived, though do you remember mechanics fiddling with your broken wires and all of that? Replacing a face, an arm, and all of that? They better have used the others to do that. While I won't put it against you if they did, as there wasn't anything you could do about it, I'll be deeply unnerved if the metal bodies of my comrades were scrapped for repairs when they could've simply bought circuits instead. Four-eyes, you better not be lying when you said they were in here..." 

The trio came to a door at the very edge of the premises, reading in clear font:

SERVICE AND REPAIRS: EMPLOYEES ONLY

The man mumbled something that sounded like "about time" under his breath, placing his right hand on the door. "This looks like the place." he sighed, feeling each rusted section of the brass. "If you're not bothered, could I go in alone? I'd like to see if they're still there, and see how they are without interruption, if that's alright with the both of you. I'm sure you'd understand.." The doorknob creaked under the pressure of his hand. "... That I've made some choices I regret. I should never have come back to this hell of a place, and now... I need to take the penalty for those choices. Whatever sneaking back here means, I'm still willing to take the risk they'll kill me. If that happens, at least I'll still get to see them one last time..." When he felt approval was met, he turned the knob of the door. "Wait," Hanji urged, commanding the lightly-hued, black-flecked robot to move forward a little, "you're going to need this." The metal giant's hand unfurled, revealing a reasonably-sized flashlight. "And it's best you hurry. We don't know how long you'll have until day comes... Or they decide to bust out and slaughter us both. Best of luck to you, pal." the mechanical scientist finished, a small, worried smile crossing their face, beginning to wheel back. 

"If you need anything, I'll use the suit to attempt to get to you before anything happens... We should head back and give him some space, Armin." The little robot scurried along beside them, finally catching up enough to push the wheelchair for them. "Take as much time as you need- though you have to be out of there by 6:00 if you're still alive. Bodies don't have curfews, after all..." Those were the last words the man heard from the robot before entering into the room, completely enfolded in darkness. 

"Are you two in here...?" For once, uneasiness held his voice by the core. It was all too apparent he was no less than terrified of the place around him. "I've heard you're supposed to be back here, and though I'd check..." Cautiously, he flicked on the flashlight. Horror couldn't cover the emotion he felt. If they weren't robotics, the place would look like a slaughterhouse. Limbs and bits and pieces of animatronics scattered the floor. The light that he could see showed a dark, deep room, and if there were creatures who could kill him... Of all the places... This looked like the one with the best vantage points and tangible fear to it to commit murder. The main question on his mind: would they even recognize him? Or would be become disregarded as an endoskeletons without a suit, trapped in the same dismal fate as them? It didn't matter, and he couldn't care less what happened to him. "I've rarely known Hanji to lie, you know. I don't think they'd tell me anything other than the truth regarding you guys- I understand if you don't want to come out after what happened with our investigations. I just wanted to make sure that you know that I came back for the two of you. And, if you're ready... I want to try and make things right again. Just what state of disrepair have you gotten into, physical, mental, emotional, and how can I help you?"

There was a small bump on the roof, drawing nearer and nearer, coming closer and closer to his person. Alarmed, he wheeled around, flashlight directed towards the noise. Nothing. Tch- it's probably just whatever goddamn paranoia I've acquired in these last few hours... Probably nothing. Nothing, he thought, until the clamor increased. Bangs, booms, the sound of metal scraping the roof. The whirring of devices filled his ears. Then, finally, a voice. "Levi-Bro...?"


	10. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** WARNING: ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ***

Reunion [Night Six, Part 2]

Levi's blood turned to ice. To hear that voice so clearly again, and at the same sweet feminine pitch: even the way the voice referred to him was something he'd known and secretly adored since he'd first found her. While memories of their faces faded, he could pick out their voices, their patterns of speech, from a million. But where was the voice coming from? "Isabel...?" Levi asked, anxiety beginning to fade. If they were still here, still able to recall his name, then surely, they'd be alright somehow. All he had to do is figure out where the hell they were, that was all. "You came back for us?" The same voice, the same childish aura to it, circling around him. Flicking a flashlight to the ground he saw nothing, until the hazy glow caught the ceiling, a mechanical head, flipped upside down, attached to mangled and broken endoskeleton and wires. The animatronic possessed faded emerald orbs, not unlike the ones of the girl he'd remembered. Deep russet paint bathed in his small light, and a look of confusion hung on its face. Such a sight would've been frightening to the normal person, but he, a survivor of multiple slaughters and former night guard, was anything but phased. A hand reached up without thinking, stroking the metal of the animatron's head. "You recognize me, then?"

"How could we forget?" It was another voice, authoritative in a way not unlike his own, ridden with seriousness, though a bit of relief shone through the cracks. "Levi, we were your friends, remember? How could we forget about you? It's the only reason we're still remotely sane." Sterling sliver eyes flickered to the location of the voice- yes, that was the other voice he recognized. "Farlan? You're still here, too?" A metal leg, once an over-polished sunshine rusted over the years, slipped out from the corner of the room. "I'm afraid neither of us are in very good condition, but yes. We were spared from the men that intended to scrap us. Everyone was so set on getting things out of here and going that they didn't even notice us, and so we managed to evade that fate. We also had some help from that friend of yours- Hanji, is it?- to get situated." The figure of a battered, mechanical Farlan released himself from the shadows, and the former guard realized exactly what he had meant. 

Both of the animatronics were clearly in an indescribable state of disrepair. His over-stylized eyes, the brilliant blue hues faded out almost entirely, left almost a pure white splotched with the occasional azure tint, like eyes tired of war, seeing too much for his time. His wires, like Isabel's, were a complete mess- perhaps not to that degree, though still not a pretty sight. Intricately entangled strings hung out like spaghetti from his head, from a substantial hole in his arm, and from each and every other place you'd expect. Unlike the girl, he had all his appendages intact, though they gushed with blood mingled with the wires, making it all too clear where his body had met its final destination. It was obvious that age and rot had taken a toll on him, the foul stench of the human's corpse lingering in the dimly lit crevice of a room. If it weren't for the fact they were long-separated companions, he would've found the smell vile. Though at the moment, only relief flooded his mind. So they were both here, after all. 

"I would've thought someone had discovered and discarded you by now... Hanji really must've found a decent hiding spot- took us nearly an hour for four-eyes to remember where the hell you placed you." The trail of the former guard's eyes trailed down to his feet- relieved and happy as he was to see them again, how could he look them in the eye when he felt so responsible for their deaths? It was a feeling of the crimson blood on his hands that weighed him down so throughly, heart shattering with the thought. Yes, he felt deeply, entirely responsible. They didn't seem to think of it that way, however, so maybe it would be alright to look up and see how they'd gotten off to once more... 

"I'm sorry... I took so long to return here." Levi admitted. "I didn't even know you were here. I didn't know anything about where you'd gotten off to, and thought you'd both been scrapped alongside the others... It sickens me to think they'd do that to you, since you are, after all, merely victims of this shitty place we live in. It relieves me this hadn't become the case." How they'd been expecting this degree of an apology could only be explained by their knowledge and companionship of the human standing before them. "And... I'm sorry I got you dragged into this mess. I should've gone alone and figured out this mystery by myself if I wanted it solved." They could see a glint of clear liquid running down his cheeks, eyes lowered still, emanating a regretful aura.

Farlan looked on in calm sincerity, struggling to push the words he wished to say past his robotic lips. "Levi, it wasn't your fault... You had no idea he'd sneak up on us that night. Besides which, I wouldn't have let you go alone- and I think Isabel would've been incredibly worried as well if you ran off without allowing us to help. Truly, it wasn't a problem to take us along. I'm just sorry it damaged you so much." His body might've been battered by neglect, and his soul somewhat crushed under the pressure of loneliness, he knew Levi's was worse- after all, even if he hadn't the companionship of his closest friend, he did have Isabel to fill the empty silence. As for the man before him? He did have Hanji, from what he'd understood... Though the scientist wasn't one he related to as strongly as the pair standing- and hanging- before him. "You're back, and that's what matters." Farlan added, trying to hide his emotional pain to no avail.  
"No, you don't understand." Levi continued, growling annoyed with himself. "I don't know what I was thinking, leaving you both behind, and I've suffered the curse of it, but I'm still not blind. I know my choice was an awful one, and I want to know... How to help repair the broken pieces for both of you." 

"It's... Too dark in here." Isabel said after a moment's hesitation. "And we've been shut off from all the others by ourselves. You shouldn't blame yourself, but we've been hurt by this place. It's... Too dark to see anything. The light from your flashlight is the last bit of light either of us have seen since the old place shut down." Oil dripped and drizzled from her eyes for a moment, her eyes opening and closing with grief. "Most of all... I've missed you, Levi-bro. No one ever understood the pain like you did. I'm glad I've had Farlan to talk to all this time, but it's not the same without you." Levi couldn't disguise his own guilt and grief any longer, looking into the animatronic's eyes deeply. He was struggling to keep his composure at last. There was a rule to his code: when he could help it, all emotion was hidden, as not to let anyone know what he really thought. Keep calm, and make sure they never knew. But if anyone knew about his soft side, if was surely, and certainly, the two of them. They already knew what was on his mind. He was alone with them. So why not allow the veil of secrecy to slide off his shoulders? Calmly as he could, he placed a hand on the auburn robot's muzzle, quietly singing the song he'd used to calm her since the day they'd met: 

"Chairs so close and room so small  
You and I talk all the night long  
Meagre this space but serves us so well  
We comrades have stories to tell  
And it's always like that in the evening time  
We drink and we sing when our fighting is done  
And it's always so we live under the burnt clouds  
Ease our burden, long is the night  
Just as no stars can be seen  
We are stars and we'll beam on our town  
We must all gather as one  
Sing with hope and the fear will be gone"

By the end of it, the guard's voice was all choked out, tears streaming prominently down his cheeks. "It's been too long... I don't want to leave you again..." The animatronic mess reached down, placing a portion of endoskeleton, he could only assume was her arm, onto his shoulder. "Bro, please... Don't leave us here alone again." Shaky hands reached for an object for his pocket. "Say, Isabel... Is the puppet still available...?" From his pocket, he drew a small pistol, aiming it at his head. "If so, I won't have to leave you two alone..." He attempted to move the trigger. "I don't ever want to remember a time when you've been shut off. I want to be with you both again-" 

"Levi!" The feline barely had time to break his hand free of the weapon in his hand, though not before the trigger was pulled. A bullet hit the ceiling with an ominous bang. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Farlan was no less than horrified. "You just came back, and now you want to Kill yourself?! That'll only get you further away from us." The animatron began to calm down a little, speaking more precisely. "The puppet was scrapped, just like the others, Levi. If you kill yourself, we won't ever be able to see you again. We're ghosts, remember? As far as I can tell, we're going to be stuck here forever until someone scraps us, and perhaps not even then... What you should do is try to visit, as opposed to taking your own life for our sake, and without the ability to be together again. You've got to trust me... And hand me the gun, Levi." The authoritative spark came with the last part, palm outstretched. Still seeming depressed, the former guard gave the weapon to the cat. "We still need you around, Levi, and you can't be throwing your life out in the open like that." Farlan mumbled in annoyance. "We both care about you. And we're still here." He raised an eyebrow. "Or does this have to do with more than just 1986?"

"Both, and neither all at once." Levi muttered, regaining the mysterious aura he preferred to shield himself from his own emotions. "It... It was foolish of me to think that would solve anything. I suppose that both incidents left me a shaken, mentally crippled mess, however. I don't even remember the initial murders- all I know is that I woke up in the hospital, with the two of you by my side. Other than that, nothing. It's all a mystery to me, and I don't even know what the others endured. I can only recall the screaming and the bullets... The rest is pitch black in my head. I admit I'm still a bit curious about what happened..." The man shifted, running a hand through his black-and-gray hair. "And appeased all the same to find out that the other animatronics in this facility? They've done Mike in. Slashed his throat, stuffed him in the Freddy suit. Serves the fucking bastard right for what he's done to you... What he's done to both of you."

Shocked excitement emanated from their faces. "Wait- they really did?!" Farlan gasped, a small grin forming on his face. "They finally caught him?!" The short man gave a small nod. "Indeed they did. From what I've heard, they decided to psychologically demean him as well for at least two or three hours before his death... So allow me to say that justice has been served. You can rest easy now, knowing that your killer can't sleep easy any longer. He's in the depths of hell by now, or wherever twisted, evil souls of that sort go in their afterlives of torture." The fox had found her way off the ceiling now, landing in a heavy entangled mass of crossbeams and wires at his feet. "Here- let me help you there, Isabel." His foot found a paw, a leg, and all other bodily parts of the animatron before him: though it wasn't long until he figured the job would need more than one person, particularly... "On second thought, I'll need some help with it. I'm going to go get Hanji- they're a mechanical scientist who specializes in the machinery of the same robotics as you've become." Cautiously, he directed the flashlight to the door of the room- at least he still knew its location- and twisted the knob. "I'll be right back."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A bit of time passed. They waited in the dark abyss, trusting in only the hope he'd keep his promise. Seconds, Minutes, hours began to overcome them, worrying over whether he really would return back for them in the end. The animatrons had already lost heart from years of abandonment: they were used to the silence. Time wasn't anything new to them, not when received, not when spent. This went on for some time until, however, a small creak of the door caused them to reconsider the desperation of the situation, when indeed the scientist in question showed their face once more. It had been years since they'd seen them last, especially with all the wiring around the survivor's wheelchair. 

"Oh dear, they're in worse condition than I'd expected. And... Does Isabel even have a body now...?" Puzzled, Hanji moved closer, the diminished animatron moving closer and allowing them to inspect her. With closer examination and directly in from of him, Levi noticed that indeed, the little robot was missing all but endoskeleton of all but her hands, feet, and head. Even the tail was a scrap of metal at this point, bits of the auburn of her natural paint clinging on for dear life. "...How did this even happen, Isabel?" Confused and overall phased as he was, he couldn't help but notice a small spark of pure anger surge up in him- first Mike had gotten his way with abusing the first murders, killed off the remaining companions he had, and then reduced them to a pile of wires?! Oh, if the man behind it all were still alive, worse things than being crammed into a suit would befall him. The short man wouldn't put up with such violent treatment of the friends he'd grown up with, and putting them back together physically was his first move.

"Levi-Bro, you wouldn't believe... How... Merciless... Children can be... I was supposed to host this section of the restaurant- do you remember Kid's Cove?- and I got mistaken as one of the playthings for children... I'm lucky to still have the programming my soul fused to. It was perfect cover for Mike, however- if anyone asked about the body, it could be inferred it was something like chicken a child had gotten stuck and crammed inside..." A shudder ran down her back, sending colder energy down her endoskeleton. "Hey removed it before anyone could notice- Mike, like the goddamn bastard he was, came to pick up and destroy the evidence. Same for Farlan. However, not much could remove the blood and gore inside of his suit..." "Isabel, that's enough! What matters is someone figures out how to sort out how to fix us up- you in particular. I'm not as horrifically damaged, and any improvements are better than none. You, however... I have no questions as to why you hang around on the ceiling when you're scrambled and mangled up like that."

"You're not in the best shape, either, Farlan." Hanji noted. "You've still got most of your exterior metal structure, though I can't say that I'd call your condition perfect. I'm going to have to do a bit of work on both of you, I'm afraid." Emerald eyes looked over at her direction, the disabled robot falling into an unrecognizable pile of crossbeams and wires once more. "Can you even stand, Isabel? Or did those kids fracture you that badly as to completely remove all your mobility?" The animatron, if nothing else, was stubborn and persistent. "I can stand on my own." She replied, struggling lift herself. "It's just a little difficult without a body... But I can do it." A few moments passed in this same sort of failed attempt to get back on whatever appendages remained, eventually resulting in the now four-legged mangled robot standing somewhat properly, though just by the quirky, unorthodox gait it was apparent that any sort of movement allowed little comfort. "That can't possibly allow you enough mobility." Hanji replied, shaking their head. "How you two managed to retain your strength and spirit through all these years- it's truly astounding. Did you always instinctively know you'd have a chance to be reunited, or was it a small hope you were willing to carry on with even despite general logic?"

"We didn't really have much choice." Farlan mumbled, placing his rusted head on a wire-exposed hand, settling down in annoyance in the far corner. "Since we weren't scrapped, and our vital programming wasn't ripped out, our souls remain, and will remain, permanently fused to these damned control centers. If we had been dismantled entirely, wiring, metal and all, we wouldn't have been able to carry on. But alas, that wasn't the case. Though allow it to be worth it to look our friend in the eye once more." A sort of contented, calm spark lit up the dying lights of his eyes for a moment, only to flicker out the next. "I'm afraid the time spent here, stuck here to decay, has left us in a rather substantial state of disrepair- perhaps not as bad if you hadn't repaired the original ones, most of which' souls we still know so little about, though some parts even a mechanic like you could not replace, and they deprived us of in exchange for the recovery of the former animatronic band. Not as though there's much we can do about that now. Unless, of course, you've gained access to the particular parts we need." The scientist pondered this for a moment, chocolate eyes focused and concentrated. There was some truth in what he said for sure- the majority of the parts would likely be missing or discontinued, since animatrons weren't made like them... Better to ask, anyways. "Well, what sorts of parts are you looking for in particular? I can see where I could repair you, though if you've got something particular in mind..." 

The cat stopped mid-sentence, a bit annoyed by the lightheartedness of the brunette's voice. While they'd been in the normal world, the two of them had seen some rather horrific things and decayed with no sign of other company. Hanji's inquiries, while intended harmlessly, certainly did mess with his wires. Ears flicked backward, then tried to continue explanation: "We're in need of some new screws, external metalwork, and our wires are all screwed up." Minutes passed after this mention. Still nothing, the scientist mulling over the details in hopes of figuring something out. Finally, a voice rose up from the deafening silence: "Well, I managed to fix the original gang in less than a week- they might've been in a less worrisome state of repair, but for four animatrons that isn't bad. I can get the materials to this place by day and collect some information by night and see if I can't repair a little after everyone leaves. This suit's more than capable to transport and work with the materials, so I've learned. If I can work efficiently, I might have you two fixed in the next week or two. I'll start with your sensory-focused and mental processing programming, just to make sure nothing like what happened in 1987 repeats itself..." The memory sent a noticeable shudder down the weary man's spine.

"Let's make sure nothing like that ever repeats itself..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone was asking repeatedly about when it was going to include Levi and what role Levi was going to be, Levi this, Levi that... To be honest, the only reason he's even in this fic is because I wanted some Thug Trio angst.


	11. 1987: Welcome to Farlan's

"Hello? Hello? Levi, are you in that office already?" The sound of his only surviving companion was reassuring, however not enough. 12:55 AM, the perfect time to discover what was up with the place. But where to begin searching? That was the question... "Yeah, I'm here, four-eyes." The mumbled response was barely audible, though got through to the brunette. At this time, Hanji resided in their room, feet propped up against the desk. Not unlike the office at Freddy's, it was covered significantly in wires and cameras from the golden animatronic's processors and eyes. At the time, the scientist had agreed to help him on his mission, serving as a backup guard for the time being. "Have you tracked down any sort of evidence already, or is the case just as hopeless as before?" 

"Well," Hanji replied, flipping to the arcade camera, "I've noticed signs of... Activity during the late hours. Of course, that's to be expected, but it's not like artificial robotic mobility, no- it's more along the lines of... Trapped souls." The dark-haired man stiffened. "What? Hanji, you don't mean-" "It's exactly what you think I'm saying. Levi, I know you went unconscious during the night of both killings, though I watched after hours on the night those two disappeared. Just like the original murders, they were carried over and stuffed into the suits of the animatronics, and there's a bit of evidence to say some bits of them are still alive... Not their bodies, of course, but it's almost as if their souls fused with the circuits... If you listen carefully at night, it's like you can hear their-" 

"Levi... Bro..." The voice was sickening to listen to and sounded artificial in of itself, though childish in nature... Even despite the mechanical sound, it was all too recognizable as the redhead he'd once known. It was a sound to make every hair on his head stand in end, face flushed from decently concealed panic- but no, it couldn't be... "But... They're dead... She can't possibly remain stuck like this..." But the voice continued to get more cheerful, more sing-songy, nearer and nearer and nearer the longer he waited and listened... "You've come back, then? Have you come to play? A-Answ-w-w-wer m-m-me..." To think that the companion he'd always kept by his side could be a threat to him now... The thought was anything but settling. "You should really look at the cameras. I'll take care of the music box, but you have to watch the footage and make sure nothing tries to get into the room alongside you. If it does, I'll try to soho it out... But I can only guarantee so much, you know. There's a possibility I won't make it to you in time..." 

Silver eyes trailed down to the brown animatronic head beside him, a curious eyebrow quirking at the sight. "What's this mask for, four-eyes? I don't remember hearing anything about having to repair these metal freaks on the night watch..." Their own eyes checked another camera to find the object in question. "No... But I am. I received a permit to repair the older animatronics, the result of the first murder, so that they can have another chance to live... You know? That's not one of their heads though- it's a mask to put on in case one of them wanders in your room. You see, the animatrons won't recognize you as a person overnight, but more as... An endoskeleton without a suit. And of course, since I've tracked down their souls to the 'toy' animatronics, I have no doubts they'll attempt to do the same to you if they get a chance, so you can live here alongside them. Obviously that doesn't work out for you, but they won't understand that until it's too late... You know, it's better not to let them wander in, but if something like that happens, just put it on and masquerade as one of them. You can keep it on as long as you like, and hope for the best."

"Zoe... Could you possibly be any more vague?!" the man shot back in growing agitation. Much as he hated to show his distress so clearly, the thought of being eviscerated by the crossbeams and wires of a robotic suit brought no comfort. And to think about it being one of his own dear companions who committed this crime... Oh, hell. I better at least check these door lights in case someone's there... Cautiously, he pressed a button to activate it. A beam of light immediately reflected on a figure right outside the frontal entrance, golden flecks of shiny metal illuminating off their face. The figure was one of a cat, well-polished, a pair of bright red cheeks on either side of the robot's face. Cerulean eyes lit up, drawn into a concerned expression. 

"Levi? Is that you?" From the dark long hallway leading to the office, the robot looked on in silence. All those sleepless nights, all the time he'd been without the man residing in the office. Carefully, the animatron crept a little closer... Attracted by the voice of a friend he'd lost almost a year ago, stuck inside the circuits of a hunk of metal. For once, maybe it seemed that he'd returned for them and hoping he wouldn't disappear once again. So his feet continued to move forward, a small, pleased grin on his face. His face turned back and shouted something down the hallway: "Isabel! Come here! I think Levi might be back!" 

A pang in his heart began to grow in spite of the anxiety, his fears diminishing with the happiness. To hear their voices again, after that dreadful, harrowing year... How could it possibly be bad to let them wander in and join him? To believe they'd been stuck here all these years... It filled him with a poisoned sense of happiness. Poisoned by the guilt that their reunion was only due to pure loneliness and the haunting of such an object, even despite the seemingly good condition of them. But maybe, just maybe... They didn't seem keen on harming him, so perhaps it wouldn't be bad to let them in the room... "Levi? Are you hearing what I'm saying? I know it's probably hard for you to understand, but if they come in your office they will kill you... Of course, they'll only attempt to help you, but you're not an endoskeleton without a suit... They don't know that. I have little doubts they want you to stay with them, and you can't do that. You belong in this world, and I'm going to work to try and help them with their problems." 

"How so? They're not going to hurt me, four-eyes. I know at least Farlan would have the sense not to shove me into a shitty death trap like that. Besides, they seem like themselves... Why shouldn't I let them see me once again? How the hell do you expect to help them?! They're onstage throughout the day- unless you've gotten some way to sneak in during the night..." Already, he was beginning to become tired of the scientist's inquiries and advice... And of course, reluctant to believe people like those two would attempted to hurt him, even out of care- no, especially out of care. That was the worst part of it, to imagine their horrified metal faces at his gorged body in the suit... A shudder ran down his spine. 

"Actually," Hanji replied, "I do indeed have a way to get in during the night. Remember me talking about the other three putting circuits and tech into that Golden Freddy suit? They agree, and it became functional a while ago, actually... But I believe at the time, you were far too depressed to react to this news. Not like I blame you-" "That's in the past now... What matters now is that they're still somewhat alive, isn't it? They're at least conscious, and I think it wouldn't hurt to alleviate them of a bit of pain." While he refused to admit it openly, their deaths gashed heavy scars in his heart, only to heal up with their presence. A light flickered once again in the restaurant, seeing them draw nearer and nearer... No, he didn't believe it himself. They weren't nearly as sane as he'd thought... For the moment he caught sight of the look in Farlan's eyes, it was far more twisted and creepy than he'd expect to find on the level-headed friend he'd lost. A small grin twisted into a sick grimace, eyes little slits in his mechanical sockets. A sudden nauseous feeling rooted itself inside his stomach: no, he wouldn't... 

"Are you hearing me?!" Hanji's tone became far more impatient, flipping cameras as they wound up the music box to keep the Marionette at bay. "Listen to me- there are more than a couple souls here, and they've all experienced their common sense being stripped from them, rotted away with their diminishing corpses. Don't put it past your comrades to 'help' you into a suit, Levi. It doesn't matter what their intents are... You don't want to go through that pain. I've talked to the original children, barely sobered from insanity, and they've explained to me in detail how downright awful it is to be shoved into one of those things in their dying breaths..." The man cringed slightly. "You need to tell me the other children are haunting this place as well?!" 

No sooner had the words gone out, but a figure flashed in the flickering lights of the office... A horrifying sight to say the least. A cat appeared directly in front of him, not unlike the one Farlan appeared to be haunting, only completely deprived of a face aside from that of two gleaming cyan lights and overhanging wires from the top of its head. The only thing that was left as evidence of a face was a lower jaw, line with decently sharp teeth. Aside from this, it was missing the lower bit of a right arm, an array of green and red wires pouring from the ends... Cracks and pieces of metal were missing everywhere, no matter which way he looked. In what could only be complete terror, the short man reached over for the mask, placing it on his head as quickly as he could. Too late it seemed: the robot knew well he wasn't supposed to be there, lifting it off for a moment to inspect the guard's face... 

"S-S-Survivor..." A hand, nothing but a metal endoskeleton now, placed it on his head once more. The voice held deep understanding and sympathy for one of the only living victim of the slaughter, intending to do anything but hurt him at this rate. It wasn't long until the robot turned to leave, allowing the man a break for whatever came next.

"Ah, you're back." A polite smile spread across the 'replacement's face, almost expectantly at the worn-down original. The two of them had known each other to some degree through the lonely nights, the broken-down feline the only one who dared interact with the newer ones. Despite his situation, the original tried his best to make a gesture of politeness, greeting the soul of the older man with tact and respect. The grin on Farlan's face soon disappeared into concern. "That was him, wasn't it? As you know him as, 'the surviving child'? You didn't make any moves to harm him so I figured..." Armin gave a small nod. "He's... Back. Looking for you I'm sure." His head turned to look at the approaching canine in the hall alongside him: Eren. The feline walked up to him carefully, whispering the information he needed to hear: "It's the survivor. Don't hurt him now, but let the other two have some time with him." Reluctantly, the animatron nodded and traveled the other direction, tailed by his companion. "I'll make sure to tell Mikasa as well... Not as though I think she's going to try and come up here."

At their side, a red-and-white vixen arrived, giving the faceless robot a little polite nod, which he returned. "You're sure it's really him?" The robot asked, hopeful and teeming with excitement. "I'm positive. I've seen a face like his around here- he seems rather acquainted with these doors. But mind you, not the face of a killer. He's on the phone with the only other survivor, and I'm sure he wants to see you after all these months... You shouldn't keep him waiting." A hand, metal slightly exposed, settled itself on his shoulder, giving him a small pat on the back. "Wasn't thinkin' of it! Thanks, Arm'n!" And all the while he couldn't help but think of how excited the surviving child must be to, after all these years, find out this place had held them steady... The animatron began to skirt past them, towards the light at the end of the hall and into the office. "So it's really him, Far?" The Toy feline nodded. "Yeah, I'm nearly positive it is, but..." A flash of light flickered on and off in the halls, causing them both a bit of unease. "Damnit- that Phone Person taught him how to use the lights." He turned to face the darker end of the hallway. "You stay here, Isabel, and keep an eye on him- I'm going to surprise him in a vent."

"Did that do anything to deter them? You said they were right outside your door... While it doesn't effect the other Toy animatrons, I believe it might be affective on those two, since they're haunted and surely at least Isabel has a fear of the dark..." The light flickered once more to reveal the lack of Farlan in the doorway. "The cat left, but there's still this fox in the doorway..." "Mangle?" The man quirked an eyebrow. "Yes... You see, she was originally supposed to be the host of the Kid's Corner section, but over time I'm sure you can tell... The kids began to like her... A little too much... To the extent that they began to tear her apart. That's why she's called 'The Mangle,' or 'Foxy Mangle.' I've seen her, and she's in pretty poor shape, with all those wires hanging out and arms not much more than raw endoskeleton and wiring... I'm not sure what I can do about it, though, so she might have to remain like that. But as far as I've seen, she's the one who's-" 

"Levi... Bro..." The same two words sailed across the air, directly back to the robot nearly before him. The look in viridescent, illuminated eyes focused in a calm, curious fashion, regarding him with a more-than-hopeful gaze. From the looks of it, he could tell that there was something more to her, this animatronic... "Hanji, are you saying Isabel's haunting that one?!" And there his fear dissolved once more, replaced with the longing to be with his dear friend and younger sister figure. Even his stoic nature couldn't hold back the stream of happy, anxious tears brimming in the corners of his eyes... He was completely dead-center split between the action of allowing them to wander in. Let them get him, be in their company, though be gorged to death inside an animatronic suit. Keep them at bay, lose their presence entirely, but survive. Which choice was the right one? Of course, there had to be someone to hunt down their killer, but... Would it really matter to him if he could spend the remainder of eternity with them? Better to check and see if it were them for real... "Isabel?" "Big Brother? You remember me?" Heart shattering words, only ones used in the light and respect of his comrade lost to the murders. Her pitch and tone were intact just as he'd remembered, the strong, reasonably deep voice on edge with excitement. Oh, he could practically see her mechanical irises gleaming with delight...

The thumping of metal interrupted his thoughts. It continued to get closer, reaching further out, the sounds amplifying with each and every second passing. "Um... Just a thought, Levi, but have you checked the cameras in the ventilation ducts?" "What shitty bastard puts cameras in vents?!" The tone was hitched and panicked, trying his best not to scream. Each and every second it seemed he tried as he might to check for them, seeing nothing for a number of seconds. "Hanji I don't see anything." the man replied, beginning to feel more secure with this discovery. "Did you try using the light to check? It's likely you won't see anything until then..." Then, flicking the light at the right one... A face found itself staring directly at him, the mechanical beast's bulb-like eyes focused on the camera as it clambered further and further up. It only happened for a second, watching the being controlled by his friend, his own dear companion, disappear closer and closer to the office. But where? He couldn't quite tell... 

"Should I get the suit ready?" He didn't know who said it- but it appeared almost in unison, the scientist on the phone and the animatron, now mere inches away from the door, had identical thoughts. Of course, he knew one was the other robot there to try and protect him, and quite another from the girl he'd once known... "Stay on hold please, Hanji. I think it wouldn't hurt to have you around to help if things get bloody..." And almost in an instant afterwards, the voice of his other companion, the one he was certain was on his way to kill him: "You can wait until we know for sure it's him. Much as I trust Armin, he might've recognized the wrong guy.. We've got to be sure this is Levi before we let him join us..." A sick chuckle drizzled from the end of his words. "Why don't you go in the room and wait for me? I'm only about a foot away from the entrance." Energetic laughter echoed off the walls surrounding him. "With pleasure!" Every nerve in his body tensed- he knew exactly what was coming... But maybe, just maybe, he'd tried another route in hopes of spooking him further... But no. The light just at the end of the vent illuminated on the metallic face of the machine right before everything went blank.

His hands barely touched the mask, placing it on his head rapidly in hopes they'd leave him be. To be cowering in front of people he loved so dearly... It was sickening. It wasn't long until he saw the yellow animatron's face pass the peripheral vision of his silver eyes, growing wider the longer he stood there. Then he came into his general line of sight, the robot's own irises far smaller in his eyes. For a moment, it seemed to be working, seemed to baffle him enough to make him reconsider attacking. He cocked his head, a puzzled expression on his face- but was he safe? Maybe it really had fooled him, maybe the simple addition of a mask had caused him to reconsider. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. Good, so he could go home saf- 

A hand reached up, the muffled sound of a robotic screech filling his ears. With one swift, movement the metal creature reached up to the mask, letting it clatter to the ground next to him. Cerulean eyes now darted to inspect his face, a small chuckle escaping his jaws. "Don't think I've forgotten what you look like, Levi. A year isn't enough to erase our memories of you, you know. And what about us? Have you forgotten about us in the span of barely a year?" A hand extended welcomingly. 

The man took the hand, trembling some under his general stern look, allowing the robot to hoist him up to his feet. "Of course not. Ever since the day you've left I've been searching and searching for something to avenge you. I just wasn't aware that you were... Still around."

"Bro!" In an instant, yet another animatron had found its way into the room, leaping into the air with a small screech, bowling him over once more. Judging by the energy and tone of the animatronic, it wasn't difficult to put a name to the figure... Wincing in pain, he struggled to free himself of the robot's grasp. "Isabel! Give Levi some space at least, will you?! We've got plenty of time, so you don't have to get everything out at once." The vulpine backed up a bit. "S-Sorry about that, Brother...." Verdant eyes turned away in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to startle ya... I've just... Missed you." Silence followed the last few words. Standing up once more, a hand reached out, rubbing affectionately at the metal. Memories of the times they'd spent together, being able to run a hand through her hair in a nurturing way... He could almost feel the messy auburn hair under his fingers. But no. That wasn't important now. Just being able to see them once more, knowing well these moments might be his last... Would it really be that bad? They were both there, by his side, the companions he'd wanted to die fighting alongside. If there was a way to let them live like this, perhaps there was a way... Farlan's words sliced the silence. "Come on, Levi- we've got to show you around the place, now, don't we? If you're going to be here frequently, you'll have to know the routes and important places..." There was that unintentionally wicked smile again. "Especially if you're going to roam at night. The doors are always open to you of course, Levi. Now... Do you have a particular place you'd like to investigate first?"

"I'm perfectly fine with whatever you guys want to show me- it doesn't really matter to me. As long as you're comfortable with showing me around, that is." The vulpine was the first to speak up. "Why wouldn't it be?" A pause, and a creepy giggle. "You're family, and families stay t-t-t-t-tog-g-getherrrrrr." The skipping in her voice was inexplicably creepy, especially with that artificial sound to it... It was almost as though she wasn't there at all... Better not to think about it. In any case, they were conscious and the companions he knew and loved once more. Things like voice skips, obviously, couldn't be helped, so it wasn't worthy of his concern... Right?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What about the others?" Silver eyes trailed to the other animatrons in the vicinity, a bit nervously at the towering wolf in the corner. He barely got a glimpse, but he could tell that the jaw had been loosened significantly, resulting in the appearance of three sets of teeth. Like Isabel, the remaining portion of a right arm hung loosely... But there was something else in the corner. Something... Resembling a bear on two feet- an animatronic, like all of them- holding another arm out and attempting to reattach it. "You don't have to worry about them. They're not like some of us, hostile and vicious in our methods of capture-" Even in spite of himself, Levi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his friend, who faltered before continuing "- I mean, even we aren't intending to hurt you, even if the process was a bit brutal to you... But in any case, that one couldn't give a shit less about you." A finger pointed to the bear. "That's the one they call Golden Freddy, whose only chosen job is to repair these older ones. I can't recall names, though... Except for Armin." 

As if on cue, the rusted golden robot returned to their side, the bulbs in his presumed former eye sockets dimmed slightly at the top, trying to pull off a cheerful expression. "I'm glad to see you didn't keep him waiting." The metal beast's voice sounded far more hollow and appeared to echo around the remains bits of his suit. "That's him, isn't it? It's not just my bad memory messing you two up again...?" A metal hand reached up, giving him a little pat on his metal head. "No- you had the right idea. And good thing, too... We were becoming very worried for the state he's been in since those days. Fortunately, it seems he's held up pretty well." Cyan eyes flickered to the robot in the corner. "You're getting more final repairs around here, I see?" 

"Oh yes! It's really quite wonderful." A cheerful tone vibrated and echoed around their current residence- the gaming room. "Hanji got a permit to fix us up all nice and new with that suit, so that we might be able to join you guys on stage next week! And then I can finally interact with the children again..." There was an almost longing pitch in his voice, something that made it difficult not to feel at least somewhat sympathetic of. "They said they'd fix my face next, so I look a bit less menacing and able to go on display... But in any case, I'm more than happy about it. Sounds like It's going to be a lot of fun... So that then both of us can be on display in different areas..." A metal hand reached to the back of his neck nervously. "Because I know the kids love you guys, and I don't want to take that away from you, but it'll be nice to get to get out of that awful back room, rotting away almost entirely in there... Hopefully they won't shove you guys back there..." Even without a face, the apologetic tone was obvious. It wasn't something they realized until now, though it seemed like a probable issue now. With the older ones returning, problems could arise for them... 

"If they do," Farlan replied, trying to remain cheerful, "at least we'll have the majority of our parts. They seem to be doing a rather practical job with you guys without taking any of our mechanics, but how long or how efficient it'll be in the end... We can still wander around at night in the very least." The tone in his voice was obviously melancholy despite his attempted politeness. "The children aren't treating Isabel very well- maybe it would be a nice break." "I'm sorry about that..." The tone of voice had declined to guilt. "Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't want that to wind up happening to you..." "Ay- dun worry about it. S'not your fault. Besides, we'll be fine long as Levi-Bro is with us..." Perhaps that was one of her more charming qualities. Even when the whole world collapsed, there was that little ray of optimism shining somewhere within her, a little guiding light when things got tough. And even then... How she could hold so strongly onto her hopes... The answer evaded his conscious mind. But it brought more problems to the table: if they really were intent on making him "become one of them," chances were escape would be nearly impossible without help... But why escape? The thought twisted and turned in his mind for more than a trillion seconds, still unsure of the choice he should make... Even sure, it seemed as though things could get... 

... Bloody. It was at this point that the crimson spatters were visible to him on the older animatron's limbs, browning with the age of the incident. The acrid, vile stench reminiscent to a decaying corpse filled the air, one he could only trace to the two haunted robots at his side, and a fainter one from the largely dismembered one. He could practically hear bones cracking with the motion of the faceless animatron's every movement, hear the ripping of flesh somewhere further in. It was a general warning, perhaps, of what would happen if Hanji were right about the whole situation, and how badly entangled with insanity the wires of his comrades remained. Hell, a million things could happen- and if Isabel was doing as badly with the minors in the vicinity as he'd heard, chances were they'd ripped out some vital programming in the process... 

The longer he watched them, the less human they seemed. He began to see each and every new position anew, hearing the clicks and shirts of tests hard at work to move certain portions of their bodies. That was, after all, what they were- robots. There wasn't another word to describe them. Cold, emotionless scraps of machinery only able to feel a thing due to the souls of the children and his older comrade trapped inside of them, giving them some dreadful sort of afterlife. The longer he stood, the darker the room felt. He could see every shadow, wince at every little light in place time and time again. They flickered on and off, and suddenly, a sort of horrible noise filled his ears: like the moaning of a broken, dying soul gasping desperately for air... Then shrieking somewhere far off... 

No, this was no place for a sane man. Much as he hated the idea, and hated himself for it, he knew in those moments that he surely had to get out... Fortunately for him, the conversation stalled his comrades, making them unaware of his careful footsteps trying to make their way to the exit. A few steps more and more, traveling the halls with anxiety pounding heavily in his heart. They were all stalled, the ones who would try to hurt him... Even if it were out of compassion and attempted help, they'd already stated what would happen if he stayed with them for too long. One shudder after another ran along his vertebra, hoping he'd make it in the end... One step more, one step more, one step more... Soon the door came into view nicely, the sight of the early morning light a blessing. Yes, he'd make it out of there alive- 

"Aye!" His heart stopped. Even by the short period of time he'd become trapped in the place, he could tell an artificial voice from a real one... And that was, undoubtedly, yet another animatron's voice. Nervously, he looked up at the eight-foot robot towering above him a good bit (especially at his particularly small height), seeing nearly identical green orbs staring down at him menacingly. One of its arms, which it put on its waist in a disobedient way, had barely any of the rusted coffee-colored metal on it, but simple silver beams to keep its shape. His jaw, not unlike all the others, was lined with horrifically and exceptionally sharp teeth... One look at the scowl on his face and he knew he meant business. His ears, large, floppy things consisting of two different sections to them, reared back on their metallic joints, showing complete and utter aggression. And all the while Levi couldn't help but curse himself- oh, he should've known there would be more robots around! It didn't matter where he turned, he was surrounded by insane mechanical monsters ready to gorge him to death. "Where do you think you're going? Keeping your friends waiting, are you? I don't think even that's what... Are you honestly running AWAY from your companions?!"

Jaws clenched, the aggression increasing with each word that fell from his mouth, oil practically streaming from his jaws with rage. "Survivor, why do you think you get the right to up and leave them here, huh?! You might be the one who managed to get away, but that doesn't give you the right to be DISLOYAL, for god's sake! You aren't a loyal companion if you leave a friend waiting. They sacrificed their lives for you- we all saw it. We all what happened on January 9th, 1986. The man came back for a bit of revenge, and what happened?! The one who was killed first was a CHILD. A CHILD SACRIFICED HER LIFE FOR YOU AND YOU STILL HAVE THE AUDACITY TO LEAVE HER HERE ALONE?! I've seen the things that happen overnight. Each and every night, she mumbles something about a lost companion, waiting in the shadows for him to return..." His tone lowered, though kept the same level of hostility. "That was you, wasn't it? You're the one who had the foolish luck to survive and leave th-"

"You think I wanted the two of them to die?" The animatronic stopped talking, surprised at the human's courage to interrupt. It was a quality that even the stubborn dog couldn't help but appreciate and admire to some degree- the things he'd been through, undoubtedly, had been even more horrific than he could imagine. And so he kept his mechanical jaws shut for a moment to let the shorter man speak. "Not unlike the earlier events, the shithead snuck up on us and fired. I was knocked unconscious, if you're unaware, after the first bullet was released. There wasn't a single thing I could do about it. Do I regret returning to investigate during that time? Yes. Do I wish it'd been me to take the blows instead of them? Yes. But at the moment, I'm more focused on finding out who this killer is, and putting an end to these horrific deeds before more come... Surely, a passionate fellow like yourself understands that much." The annoyed, unafraid monotone he managed to keep was astounding to the robot. But still, he wasn't convinced.

"I'm not talking about that. I mean the events right now... Why are you running from your companions now? They've been waiting every night for practically a year now. And surely any moment now they'll be returning to retrieve you... Because you don't belong out there, do you? You belong standing as their companion. I don't give a god-loving fuck what you think about this, but I tell you right now you are going to turn your ass back around and go be a supportive, loyal friend. Unless, of course, you'd prefer it if I put these jaws to use and decapitate you. Perhaps then, when your own blood is spilled, you'll see just how difficult it is for us in here. You'll get a taste of the hell and silence we have to go through because there are people like you who have no thoughts but your own-" 

"Good grief, Eren. Lay off it already." A pair of sky blue lights illuminated the little area around them, revealing the cat once more, head faced to the human, then the animatron before him. "Listen here- I know it's hard for you, but he didn't mean to leave them behind. He's probably just a little concerned, that's all. After all, we're all much more mechanic and move unnaturally... But the intellect is harder for them to process. This is the Survivor, yes, and I know why he's come. He didn't know and wasn't aware that they were still alive now, and isn't sure of what's going to happen after this. I'm sure our Survivor is simply mentally and emotionally confused, and needs a few minutes. Do you get what I'm saying?" The dusty green orbs finally dimmed a bit in guilt. "Yes, Armin, but-" A mechanical finger waved itself at him in a friendly but commanding fashion, not unlike a parent and a child. What their relationship had been before the man wasn't sure, though it seemed as though he wouldn't get much chance to understand it if the more menacing one didn't lay off him. Needless to say, he was persistent. 

"No buts. Answer me this: if I were the one who'd escaped, you and Mikasa slain, would you wish I remain here to share in your suffering? I'm not saying I wouldn't come back and search the premises if such an event occurred, but I'm asking if you'd want those other two getting into your problems?" Already, the anger was fading. Aggression turned to near embarrassment, wringing his hands in guilt. "I suppose you're right, Armin. I wouldn't. Just... I know not a single person who'd leave their friends behind in a place like this..." A spike of guilt welled up inside Levi's chest. Whether it was for good intentions or not, that was exactly what he was doing. Leaving them there to rot. But like this, he would surely die at the metal hands of vicious robots searching for his blood... It didn't matter what they intended. Slaughter was slaughter.

Though all the while he couldn't help but notice they were talking about him as though he weren't directly in front of their robotic noses... "I don't think that's what he's trying to do. Obviously, from what I can tell, they're trying to... Er... 'help' him by shoving him into one of the suits... And obviously, despite the fact the Marionette is still around, that's not a pleasant death. I'm sure you're more than acquainted, but there are a ton of wires in these, and I think it'll only get in the way... And surely rip off some flesh in the process... No, he wants to be with them, but that's not a price anyone wants to pay to see their loved ones, no matter how loved. Do you understand a little more, Eren, about the situation at hand?" The little lights of his eyes trailed down to the man beside them, secretly amazed the robot had picked up the emotions, their cause, and summarized things so fluidly. 

"Does that sound right, Survivor?"  
Levi nodded. "You summed it up pretty well." The broken-down animatron brought him significant comfort- at least there was some sane soul in the vicinity, someone who understood human emotions. A hand settled itself on his back. "Come. I'll see if there's a way to get them off your back. I'll do what I can, but-" the cheer in his voice returned, horrifyingly sing-songy "-You don't want to keep a friend waaaaaaiting... D-D-Do you-u?" Even a machine as seemingly sane as him had a voice skip, just more proof to be wary of whatever tricks he might have up his sleeve, prepared to try and protect himself if he turned hostile. "Thanks... For getting me out of that mess." Levi muttered under his breath, surprised at the level of assurance the hunk of metal gave him despite his intimidating appearance. "Oh, it's no problem. Eren's... Difficult to be around in general- though I didn't think he'd get as bad as that. I'm sorry about that. But while he's got strong opinions and a fierce outlook on things... He's not so bad once you get to know him. A little snappish and biased, but really emotional and caring when he wants to be underneath that awful animatronic suit. Hopefully you're able to see the same in me...

"Though you must forgive me." The dark-haired man snapped to attention. "I'm going to have to redirect you back to them... But don't worry. I'll make sure they don't shove you into any sort of animatronic device on my watch- take it from me. It doesn't work out. Chances are they're going to try, but... I'm anything but an advocate for something like that. I haven't actually felt it since my soul's original inhabitant was murdered beforehand but... You can tell just from the blood that it's not comfortable... I'll lead you back, because I can tell already that you miss them dearly. But let me tell you this-" The robot hunched down, whispering the words directly into his ear. "-They're more sane than they let off at first sight." Footsteps followed suit to the end of the hall, the pair of haunted animatronics waiting patiently for him.

"Ahh. There you are." There was the cheerful voice of his companion once more, disturbingly content even despite the truth of it. They wanted him back, though wasn't it obvious diminishing him to a pile of flesh and bones within a robotic suit wasn't the way to display or handle those feelings? "I got a bit worried you'd gotten lost and one of the others had gotten you, or that you'd wandered off and left us... I'm glad to see that's not the case. W-W-Wee'veeeee got so much more to s-sh-to show you." Hearing the voice of the sanest man he's known skip and dement had to be the worst bit of it on the guard's nerves. It was bad enough with Isabel, who was by far the sweetest, non-threatening thing around him, but Farlan... It was unnerving enough when Isabel's corrupted for his ears to hear. He knew that, as animatronics they'd both have advantages of size and durability, both things he would be powerless against... And even Isabel knew how to stand her ground and attack more than efficiently than needed. Such things were needed for their daily life, of course, so he'd taught her... A shudder ran up his spine. If she used those very skills to get rid of him...

"What are you thinking, F-F-Farlan? Leviiiii-Bro would neeeeeeeeeever leave us behind." Another unnerving giggle escaped her jaws, setting a hand on his head and turning to face him, eyes widened and happy- if it hadn't been for the situation, "adorable" wouldn't be the wrong adjective to describe it. "Right?" Another pang of guilt welled up inside his chest- she trusted him too much, even after he'd tried to do just that... But no, it was just as Armin had said- it wasn't their company he was afraid of, but dying for wanting to see companions lost to the man behind the slaughter. And all the while, he couldn't help but feel a bit of annoyance welling up within him... Where the hell is Hanji?! It's been at least three hours, I'm sure...  
But thoughts diminished as endoskeletal arms wrapped around him lovingly. "You're going to stay, right? You're going to stay for the fun to begin?" A grimace immediately crossed his expression. "What sort of... Fun are you talking about, little sis?" 

Impossibly, her eyes widened. "You're calling me little sis, now?! Aw, you did miss us!" The grip around him tightened, the metal of the robot's face pressing against his own. "It's a party in your honor, of course. Don't be silly- we've been making hoping and expecting to see you again sometime, so we organized a bit of a welcoming party for you. I hope you don't mind much that it's a little small..." His eyes closed, grinning somewhat sheepishly. "That is, if you're up to it." "What kind of stuff have you got planned for me, exactly?" Despite his growing impatience and anxiety, he tried to stay optimistic and ask with as little nerve as he possibly could. "It's in the back room." The thought made his heart skip a beat. If the back room was where the older animatrons resided, surely this couldn't mean... Of course it did. He could feel Isabel's grip tightening on him more and more, until he could practically feel his breath straining under the pressure... 

Farlan seemed to notice in an instant. "Isabel! The intent is to welcome him back, not squeeze the life out of him!" Impatient, annoyed eyes looked down at the shorter animatron, whose ears reared back with guilt, letting him go instantly. The man fell into a coughing, spluttering mess for a moment or two after. "Oh! L-Levi... I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was-" "I'm fine." he choked, a hand pressed to his chest for air, though able to stand up enough to let them know he was alright for the most part. "However, you've roused my curiosity now, you might as well show me what you've prepared for me all this time." The fox grinned in excitement at his acquiescence to their invitation. A skeletal finger pointed towards the direction. "That way!" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Silver eyes looked left and right to each corner of the room. There was, overall, barely a speck of light- by now he'd adjusted to the darkness- but enough to see that same checkerboard-patterned flooring beneath them. The place was scattered with bolts and and other presumed animatronic parts, thick wires hanging from the ceiling. High walls surrounded them, and only a single door stood between them and the remainder of the restaurant. "Gee... I hope we don't end up n' here..." The voice of the animatron beside him was barely a whisper. 

"You two wait right there. I've got to go and get the surprise for him. Isabel, keep an eye on him, will you?" The vixen beamed. "Course I can, Far, just hurry up with it. Sure he wants to see what we've got prepared for him... Can practically hear his heart pounding outta his chest with excitement, Heh." What was it with these robots and their perception of human emotion? Whatever had happened to their souls, it was apparent they'd become even more adjusted to picking up speech patterns and non-verbal cues. His heart was indeed pounding heavily inside his chest, though excitement wouldn't be the word to describe it... 

 

It wasn't long until the robot returned with the object he dreaded the most: a well-polished animatronic suit of the mascot, rosy-cheeked like the two of them- clearly another of the "Toy" variations of the vicious mechanics. "This is the one. But if you'd prefer you can use the original one..." A finger pointed to a highly run-down Freddy animatron, completely deprived of shine and covered in dirt. Bits and pieces from the kneecaps, the legs completely endoskeletal... No, that wouldn't do at all. Whatever happened, this couldn't end well. A disappointed frown fell on the robot's face beside him, saddened emerald eyes looking up at him in dismay. "You don't like it?" There it was again- that tear between guilt and horror. "I'm really sorry that the other suits weren't available- unless you want the Toy Canid one... Think they call it 'Willy'... No, that one would work out better." The auburn animatron seemed to contemplate it for a second, then think against her original idea. "The Freddy ones aren't the best- would you prefer that one? It's a really nice dark gray wolfie... Heck, it's even what I'd imagine you'd look like as one of 'em, heh. Does that work out better for you, big bro?" Of course, with their mental processing nothing but a few cords and circuits, what could he expect? And all the while, he couldn't help but feel a bit of annoyance at the feline's words... Not as insane as I think?! What did he mean by that?! This is hell! And yet... There's got to be a way out of this. I've just got to think like Farlan to get myself out of this mess, that's all. Just reason my way out. Better to be honest, and see if I can trigger some common sense again... "Isabel..."

"Mmh?" The robot found herself looking directly into concerned silver orbs, a hand of flesh and blood turning her head to face him. "Ya?" "It's not anything like that- don't think I don't appreciate your little gift and invitation. I would appreciate living with you two again, don't think I'm not. But you see... The animatronic devices will gorge me to death if you shove me into any of them-" Farlan snapped to attention at the remark. "Oh... Of course!" The sound of metal ripping apart filled the air for a few minutes, looking over for a moment and feeling sorry he had- for not a moment after, he saw the first glimpse of pure aggression in his comrade, watching in sick dread at the dormant mechanical beast's wires and servos spill out of it on the floor. It continued for a number of minutes... An eye popped out of its socket, teeth shattered on the floor, unexposed endoskeleton tore in half and scattered the floor. It was all too horrifically similar to evisceration that even a man stoic as him couldn't hide a cringe.

A decapitated robotic hand, now free of all its wires and all too similar to the mask in the office, rested in his hands, a strangely bashful smile on his face- why did Farlan persist on making a face like that, one he'd never seen him make before in his life, right as he was about to kill him?!- as he extended it. "Terribly sorry about that, Levi- I forgot the rules are a bit different for humans. You see, we didn't have to face the devices until we were already... Dead." Jaws twisted into a grimace. "But this should work just well. You'll have to work with the older one, though- you'd get fired if they found one of the newer ones mangled up like Isabel..." "Ay!" A clang of metal sounded with the animatron ramming him with an elbow, offended somewhat. Farlan, however, ignored her and continued. "The puppet is still around, if you're looking to live here... However, the actions for that would be a little more... Drastic." Levi raised an eyebrow. "The puppet?" 

"It's this other animatronic... Who has the power to give souls like ours another chance. It's because of them that we're around, so to speak. But of course, for your soul to fuse to something like this, we'd have to kill you... Never mind, just put this on and we'll go from there." More persistently, the animatron shoved the wireless head in front of him. The hesitance and confusion still shone brightly in the guard's eyes, messing with he robot's patience until it was right over his head. Carefully, metal hands lowered it on, hearing it come in contact with his head moments after. Silver eyes shit tightly, expecting numerous bits of pain and anguish... But no, nothing. There wasn't anything to indicate any sort of pain or discomfort. If antthing, it was a little stuffy, what with little circulation beside the bit from the wire-free jaws... Overall, it was livable. "How does that feel?" 

Cautiously, he found the beaming, expectant faces of his companions once more, and this time no guilt mixed in with his anxiety, which was rapidly fading as well. From the dark depths of the mask, he could make out only their expressions, though even then he could feel the apprehensive tension running through their circuits, and gave a nod of approval. "This works well enough." Even so, his throat tightened with dread upon seeing the remainder of the suit... "Farlan, Isabel, I'm still not sure this is safe, though..." 

 

"Nonsense! All the wires are pulled out- I don't see what's wrong with a few supporting beams crosswise opposed to the ones inside! These ones you're seeing are merely letting it keep its shape- at this point, it's no different from the type of suit employees could wear around in their job... I don't think this place has enough of a budget at the moment for such things, but I've seen them around. You're just being difficult at this point. If it'd make you feel better, I can stick my hand inside and prove it to you- there isn't anything dangerous inside this thing. I pulled it all out." He did just that, a hand reaching into the bits and pieces. Not a single wire or circuit caught on his metal frame. "Now you see? It'll be just like putting on a costume... I already told you, Levi, we don't intend to hurt you. Just trust us a little more, alright?" And so the same hand reached out and pulled out the torso bit. "Now, put your arm through there..."

It didn't take all too long to see the man's body disappear into the eviscerated robotic suit. First his head, torso, legs... The mask, which had been removed to allow him to slide into the dormant animatronic's suit, was places on his head once more, and everything went nearly pitch black. The shell of the animatronic, while not lethal, was anything but comfortable to be inside. Some of the beams making up the shape of the suit were a bit too close to his skin, especially around the arm portion. They didn't pierce him in the slightest, though the way they clung to and rubbed his arms raw in places was painful enough. The feeling of being surrounded by a ripped-apart machine was anything but soothing, looking up at the ever-expectant faces of his comrades from within their own suits. "See? I told you. Now, it doesn't hurt, does it? How is it?"

"Constricting." Each little movement inside the suit was difficult enough- hell, just shrugging took a great deal of strength to make the metal work the way it should to move his arms. "Listen, I'm not sure this is going to work in the long run... It isn't exactly what you'd call comfortable. And while I see where you're coming from with this," Levi lied, "It seems like there are other ways to make meeting you guys possible. I mean, do I really need to wear this thing?" From within the suit, he shook his head in despair. "You're always onstage, aren't you? I could stop by and talk with you two during show hours-" "No. You really can't." The firm, strict tone in his voice was enough to make him reconsider tremendously. 

"Why not?" The cat rose to his full height, something he'd had to abandon while putting the suit on him. "Because," he replied, "when the lights turn on, we are like this no longer. At night, we're free to roam, but after that? Right back on stage. I mean, I could probably roam around and no one would mind, since we can usually walk about if we're careful of and caring towards the children and before a show, but Isabel would have to stay in Kid's Cove... And good luck getting them off her!" "The kids are really that brutal?!" Farlan nodded. "On some of the occasions I've been free to roam, I've seen what they do to her. Brutal isn't even scratching the surface. And just to think... It's only been two weeks since they moved her to that place, and look what happened." Hands directed themselves to the noticeably shorter animatron, who stood at roughly Levi's level. "They really are vicious, big bro. Farlan's not kidding or exaggerating." Isabel sighed, ears flattening in despair. "I just... I just want to go home... Don't want to be alone..." A trickle of oil spilled down her brightly painted cheeks. "This is no life at all."

The darker robot wiped away the 'tear' gently. "Isabel... It's alright. I'm not going to abandon you two- I just think there's an easier way to make something like this possible. Do you get what I'm saying?" Verdant eyes looked over at him, allowing the man to give her what he could of a small hug. A small trickle of tears escaped his own eyes, the watery compound slipping down his cheeks. "Not ever again." A weight pressed against his back, understanding just by the situation that it was his other companion. Trying to comfort him in some way. "Thank you... For coming back." The feline barely got the words out. "No question, it's been awfully lonely in this place..." "Don't think for a second I intended to keep you waiting this long. I didn't know you two were stuck like this, I didn't know..." A mechanical hand gripped the machine's left ear in distress. "Hey- don't get so worked up about it. Didn't think for a second ya'd do something like that." At least some of the cheer was returning to her voice. "But yer here now, and that's what really matters in the end. Right, Farlan?"

"Couldn't say it better myself." These words in particular sounded unnaturally artificial even for an animatronic, the words practically oozing with mechanical parts. No, it wasn't as creepy as he'd expect... Just proof that they didn't belong in a world like this, in a place as dark and dreary as Freddy Fazbear's. In the day, it was a place of joy... But only false happiness. For the children, sure- it was more than amusing. But for a handful of lost souls, trapped in darkness and despair, smiles painted onto their faces? Barely any security could be found from the checkerboard flooring and high walls. It was a place of agony for the ones left behind and stuck in the restaurant's captivity. It wasn't a place to give the souls of the dead rest at all. And, in a twisted sort of sorrow, he almost wished, almost hoped... Something would happen to put their souls to rest. They were despite the mechanisms and gears proposing cheerfulness and content, he could tell it was simply an act. And while he was stuck inside the suit, he could leave and take it off at any time- but them? They were completely fused to the mechanical suits... And unlike his, theirs were fully equipped and wired. Now it all made sense to him... Isabel's little giggles, Farlan's cheerful smile... But in reality, was it that they didn't want him to worry? It seemed like the most reasonable assumption. So when arms unfolded and they stood individually once more, he decided it'd be best to get out the things he wanted to say.

"Stop pretending... Like you're okay. You don't need to hide your emotions from me, you know. I know you're trying to trick me and make me feel better about this mess, but it's all my fault you're stuck here." There was enough guilt in his voice to tell what he was feeling, though somehow his tone kept its strength for the most part. "If it'd make you feel better..." He grimaced. "Go ahead and get that puppet you mentioned. I'll share your fate here, if that's what should happen. After all, it was my idea to search his place... So why am I the only survivor? It should've been me." A sigh of anguish passed his lips, echoing from inside the mask. "You're right, Isabel. Families stay together. I shouldn't keep such a distance from you guys, especially since I'm sure the a Killer was after me... Might as well finish his work for him." He could feel a harsh hand send him spinning backwards, the mask hitting his jaw before he collapsed in a mess on the floor. "What the hell has gotten into you?!" The vixen looked down at him, eyes glowing with concerned anger, leaning down to look him in the eye. "Where's the big bro I knew? Don't every every give up to that monster, ya hear? Give 'em what he's cruisin' for, and put 'em to death just like so. If ya wanna help us, that's where you should start. I know you can do it- say..." She placed a hand on her temple mid-thought, trying to figure out the remainder of the situation. "That's why ya came here, isn't it?"

Levi struggled to his feet. "A good deal of it. I didn't think he would be here, but I wanted to see if he'd left any clues. After all, I don't know a single person who doesn't leave a clue behind. So far, I haven't found much... However, I do have something for you two..." Curious eyes looked on. "Now, if I could just get my hand out of this suit for a minute..." An eager robot's hand helped him get an arm free, flexing his fingers a few times just as proof he was still alive. "That's much better. So you see, during all these years I'd thought I'd lost you forever, I've had something that belongs to both of you I'd like to return... I think Hanji must've stopped by and picked them up somehow- hell, I don't question them about these things. But I've been keeping them safely for you." Reaching up underneath his collar, he felt for the two items around his neck. "It's a little difficult to hand them to you..." 

"Just take the suit off, then. You're not going to stay here forever, so you might as well just go without it for the time being." Farlan replied, helping him remove the torso bit of the suit. Once he was free of it, he removed the items, an open palm extended for them to retrieve them from. "These aren't-" "They are." A small silk ribbon draped over his left hand, alongside the limp cord of a necklace, the circular ivory pendant in his palm. "I've been keeping them with me so I never forget, and so I remember what I've been searching for. I've just been keeping them to gain the strength I need to keep on going. But they're yours, so you should have them back now that I know you're still around..." He felt the cold metal of an animatronic hand brush against his fingertips, shoving them back on top of the two trinkets. "Keep them." 

Two pairs of careful eyes regarded him, wide-open in anticipation. "At least keep mine for me, will ya? I can't expect my necklace to last long with all the lil ones about n' rippin' me apart." There was an undertone of indirect spite, though the rest of it was simple exhaustion. "I wish they'd get off it for a while..." "If I'm ever around here during the day, I can try to get them to lay off you. You know what, that's exactly what I'll do... Take the day shift, so I can keep an eye on you guys. It might not be the easiest, but it's probably easier than taking the night shift-" "My wires shut down entirely during the day." A concerned look shown on the fox's face, looking up at the guard with all concern and honesty. "I can take a bit of mangling- 'cause when you two are around, I feel much safer... Heh. Like I can get through anything around ya." Hands found their way onto her cheeks, pulling her closer, all the concern and honesty reflecting back at her comrade's own expression. "Stay strong... Little sister. I'll come back for you. Both of you."

"You should go ahead and go back to your office now, Levi." Farlan advised. "It's 6:00- better get back to your friend, I'm sure they're worried by now. Hanji, isn't it?" The robot furrowed his brows, trying to recall the name of the other survivor. Anyways, I've got to go back to the stage, and Isabel to Kid's Cove- it's opening time, I'm afraid." A hand outstretched to the exit. "It's right back at the end of the hallway... If someone finds you in here, well... Let's just say you're in trouble. Better not to take that risk." He felt a small pressure on his back, propelling him forward. "We'll walk you back if you like, it's on our way. You didn't leave anything in the office, did you?" The dark-haired man shook his head. "Nothing that I can't replace or retrieve later." The weight of two animatronic hands, one for each of them, fell on his shoulders, and in such a fashion they walked towards the front of the building. The lights flickered on in the vicinity, giving him far more ease with his surroundings. As if controlled, the other three robots returned to the back room- Levi was sure he saw the one he understood to be called Eren shoot him a look, the grip of his companions tightening as he approached. "So- you decided to stop being a wuss and look your comrades in the eye for a change?!" A hard slap met his jaws, spinning his head for a moment. "Eren- good lord! I told you to cut that out already. Do I have to explain basic human needs to you?! Have the wires really fucked up your brain so harshly?!" There was that same faceless animatron, standing by him once more. "Be nice to the Survivor, will you?" "Yes, Armin, but-" 

A wolf strode up to where they sat. While gender was always difficult to tell with robots, they were decidedly female, with a red scarf draped around their neck. The eyes were pure titanium in coloration, unlike a worn-out gray color like so long ago. Her aura, not unlike his own, was clearly one unknown to not many people, perhaps a mixture of the deep black and the nearly emotionless expression on her face. "Is he bothering you?" Hell, even her tone hid a sea of emotion. Calm and steady, the question slipped out like water, with an easy flow with little waves in between. It wasn't unlike his general calm monotone in the slightest. "A little bit, I suppose." Another harsh slap hit the robot's face. This time, stronger, and more aggressive, knocking him a good two feet back onto the ground. An apologetic, though not happy at all she wasn't the type who liked to hide emotions under false cheer- look fell onto her face, depression dripping and drizzling from within each and every word. "I apologize on my brother's behalf for being so downright foolish and obnoxious... Hopefully, he didn't frighten you too much. He's far more bark than he is bite, although... I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." The canine wrapped an arm around the canine's neck, leading him in the direction of the closet in the back. It wasn't long until the doors came into view... 

A sheen of reddish purple light reflected across the sky, feeling the morning breeze blow around him as he pushed the doors open. "Well, I suppose it's time to return to the rest of the world..." Arms wrapped around his shoulders once more, and without hesitation, he turned to hug the two mechanics beside him. "Just keep holding in there- I'll take vengeance on your Killer." The smiles returned to their faces, but this time, it was truly as heartfelt as they were displaying. "You'll be back tomorrow, I presume?" Farlan asked, raising an eyebrow apprehensively. "12:00 on the dot. Just don't shove me in a suit and I'll keep coming back for you for the rest of the week. The month, if I have to. I want to make sure I get to see you for as long as possible." Remembering the feline's words hours ago, it brought another question to his attention. "Do you really think they're going to shove you in the back room?" "It's quite possible, but I shouldn't be awful if we get to roam around at night with a guard like you." Robotic eyes looked on at the doors. "Ah- it looks like your friend is waiting for you. Well, we won't keep you waiting." A mechanical hand pushed the door open, allowing him to pass. As he passed by, he would've been sure he'd heard the words, programmed, not his own: "Thank you for coming to Freddy Fazbear's! We'll see you next time!"

Just as Farlan had said, the scientist was waiting for him, brown hair a tangled mess as usual underneath their goggles, sitting amongst a heap of wires on their wheelchair. Chocolate eyes turned to watch the other two leave, giving him a curious look. "You let them into your room, didn't you?" "I didn't let them in- they wandered in on their own. Hell, I'm lucky they didn't rip me to pieces. And I was damn sure they were going to..." The scientist only seemed to increase their curiosity. "I'm pleased to see they didn't, but why didn't they? Did they think against shoving you into a suit or something?" Levi shook his head. "Actually... They did. But I convinced Farlan to pull out all the circuits and wires beforehand... They still made me put it on, but it wasn't for long enough to get any more than uncomfortable... I swear, that place is creepy overnight. However, that reminds me..." Silver eyes retained their default glare, so that it was impossible to tell if he were in a pleasant mood or a foul one.

"Where they hell were you?! I thought you said you'd help me through the nights! Not abandon me!" Hanji gave him an apologetic smile. "I was repairing the other animatronics. They said I had to the end of the week to work something out, and I wanted to get started. I did notice you were gone, yes, and I tried to look for you... But I ran into Armin, and he explained what was going on and told me not to worry." Levi sighed, temper rising underneath his level-headed exterior. "So that cat told you I was going to be perfectly fine?" Hanji nodded. "You met him?" They began to move away from the restaurant, the sound of wheels and footsteps echoing on the pavement. "Yes! I met him alright. Probably the only one who wasn't after my blood, if I'm honest, besides the wolf. It was almost creepy how much he managed to pick up of my mental processing... However, I did run into someone far more hostile." Without hesitation or thought, the scientist spat out a name: "Eren?" His eyes looked at them in disbelief. "How did you know so quickly?"

"If there's anyone who's going to harass a night guard, it's going to be him. I've known him during my childhood, and I'd expect you would, too..." "Hanji, I grew up in a different neighborhood from you guys. One that was far more challenging to deal with, so I didn't meet the same people as you. I just went by because I heard screaming and got a painful bit of curiosity... Worst mistake of my life. Though I don't know the names of the children, if they weren't given to me." "In any case, Eren's one of those people you avoid if you view things differently from him. He's always been a bit overprotective of his opinions and views, and gets hostile with people far more naturally than any of the others. I wouldn't expect Armin or Mikasa to make a move for you at all." the scientist concluded with a small shrug. "Mikasa... Would that be the wolf who hangs around them?" Hanji stopped for a moment, turning to face him on the sidewalk. "That would be her. Dangerous in her own regard,but you have to do something really morally wrong or mess with one of her comrades for her to get vicious. More a defender than a straight-up fighter, really. Though I have to wonder... What did you do to get Eren on your tail?"

"I started noticing the mechanics in the suits, the more artificial bits of their presence, and got... A bit more anxious than I should've. Not to mention the smell and reek of what I believe to be decaying corpses in the mix..." Another sigh passed his lips. "I'm only telling you all this because you're helping me unravel this mystery, you know." The brunette gave him a nod of understanding. "Of course. But then, what happened after that?" "Then," Levi replied, keeping strength in his tone, "I tried to wander off, and see if I even could get out of that hell. I didn't want to leave them behind, but..." Teeth clenched, spilling out the rest in an self-angered, self-hating tone. "I was scared, alright?! I didn't want them to betray me like that, be slaughtered by my own comrades. And he got on my case about leaving them, started screaming things about the murders and how it was all my fault and how I needed to go back to them... Then he mentioned something about decapitating me... But I believe that other animatron- Armin, is it?- got him to calm down enough, and leave me be. What was that kid even like? I can't deny this little painful night has left me more curious than when I started." 

"He was... A really nice child. Shy and intellectual. The type of kid who wouldn't hurt a fly, basically. He was always particularly and notably gentle towards other people, when he interacted... Though if you've seen much of Mikasa, you should be able to tell that she's the mother of the group. He is, in some cases, a bit like a toned-down version of that. He isn't afraid to make sure that Eren doesn't get himself into trouble, if it's needed. So I'm not surprised he got him to calm down a little- their bond has always been... Extremely close. They were, and, as far as I know, still are, the best of friends. They're two people you always see together, no matter what the circumstances. And Mikasa's never far behind. I suppose you could say it's like their little family within the walls of the pizzeria..." Hanji scooted forward a bit. "Which reminds me, I should probably fix up Armin's face for him. I'm sure you've noticed that he's..." The scientist made a circular gesture around their face. "... Missing a few parts, which makes him seem more intimidating than he really is. A real softie, really. Did the others pose any sort of threat?"

"Armin did wander into the room once, and pull off my mask." Hanji stopped entirely. "He did?!" "Yes, but put it back on once he saw my face... Somehow. Whispered something about a Survivor..." "So that's what you're known for, is it? Makes sense. Because while I also survived, they still know me as an animatronic, watching from the Golden Freddy suit, you see. You're the only person they knew about who made it out of two attacks alive. Believe me, that's worth an award of sorts." "I wouldn't be in this mess if they'd shot me..." Levi replied bitterly. "But I'm here now- I guess that's what matters. However, I promised them to find their Killer and bring him down when I get the chance..." "Did you?" With each moment, it seemed Hanji's curiosity was rising. "They asked you to do that?" The guard nodded. "Yes, they did. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, but being able to see them again gave me enough strength to push forward."

"How sane were they?" Levi gritted his teeth. "a bit less than so. It seems that the year trapped in that place really took its toll on their judgement... At first, anyways. They were conscious and stable enough for the most part to keep a conversation and not twisted enough to make moves to kill me, though I had to point out that the wirings were a lethal hazard before Farlan practically destroyed them. They kept feigning their mental states through false smiles... It was painful and creepy on so many levels. Furthermore, their voices kept skipping and I think Farlan said a couple things that sounded a bit too program-generated to be his own." Hanji was silent for a moment. "They probably were, you know. Just because they take control of the bots doesn't mean their original coding got knocked out entirely. I've found it isn't uncommon to hear a bit of restaurant-based greeting from the older ones as well. It's sad, really, that they have to stay stuck like that."

"Especially when one of them is anything but whole, even physically." Levi mumbled. "Isabel was particularly clingy tonight, and her animatronic looked absolutely awful in terms of missing parts. You really weren't kidding when you said she was physically a wreck." Hanji sighed. "And you said she was acting clingy during the night? Isn't that normal, though?" Levi shook his head. "Not like that she isn't. Yes, she's always stayed close to my side and been a loyal companion, but I haven't ever known her to grip so tightly so me and make it difficult to move... She's always tried to win my approval, but not at the rate of tonight. I'm sure that time has broken her..." He couldn't help but let a small tear roll down his cheek. "I hope something happens to change things for them. I feel much better knowing they're in a place I can see them again, though the others pose some serious threats in terms of agreement and physical aggression. If you could, would you mind talking to Eren a bit? I don't want to get into trouble with him again." Hanji faltered. "You're going back for another night?"

"You damned bet I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am more than aware Farlan isn't that cheerful and optimistic- quite the opposite, really- it was simply put there to help portray the role programming plays to distort the souls inside.


	12. The Mangle

Fourth Night- 1:45.

The sound of the cat's footsteps echoed across the hallway. Silver eyes looked up expectantly, grateful to see the familiar animatronic once more. "There you are, Farlan-" But one look at his face, and the reassurance turned to anxiety. "Levi! You've got to get out of this office this instant! If she finds you in the state she's in...." The dark-haired man quirked an eyebrow. He didn't even have to hear the name- he knew well who the feline was talking about. "Farlan... What vital wiring did the kids rip out of Isabel this time...?" By his time, the fourth night, he'd been accustomed to seeing the animatron missing more and more parts, but never in his life had he suspected her robotic form to diminish as rapidly as it had. The golden animatron gritted his teeth. "Well, they didn't rip it out, but they've heavily damaged her facial recognition... And memory... I don't think she recognizes you at all..." Levi listened intently, feeling nerves crack slightly at the news. So she really was becoming a mangled mess that might well kill him after all... But this time, in an unconscious mind that belonged to anyone but her, intentionally. He knew well that she'd taken his tactics to heart, and even if the redhead he once known acted perky and innocent, she still held a storm of her own...

"I can see you there..." The voice was higher-pitched and far more childish- hers, but creepier and twisted up with strong aggression more than hinted in her tone. "Come on... Play with me... Isn't that what you wanted when y-you-you-you chose to lay our blood down here-here-herrrrrre? T-T-Take a share of this miseryyyyyy.... Murderrrrrrerrrrrr." The very sound of her voice nauseated him- _Murderer._ The word echoed in his head for some time, feeling the crushing weight take over him once more: yes, he did indeed feel responsible, even without the reminder. But murderer? That was going a bit too far... "Isabel...?" A shape made its way along the ceiling, what he could assume to be the remnants of a tail lashing vigorously behind the shape. It wasn't much more than a moment later that he realized the voice was indeed coming from the form above. Nervously, he clicked on a flashlight to reveal the remaining portion of his dear companion.

Almost the integrity of her auburn metal had been stripped off besides the upper portion of her body, the base of her legs, and each limb was capped off with just the slightest but. Her tail was a mere endoskeletal wisp, dangling from the rest of her body, her legs covered in red and green wires, many of which were broken and hanging off the ceiling as well. An eye seemed out of place- not exactly gone, but backwards, so only the white part shone. And then there was that single correctly-aligned emerald eye, glowing with rage. A single glance into her verdant irises and he could tell things wouldn't end well for him unless he managed to get away in time. A sort of hiss escaped her jaws, turning almost completely onto her back and running down the walls in a lizard-like fashion. "I didn't know that murderrrrrrrers took account of their slain.... Well-l-l-l... Why'd you come back here? You should've fled, dear." Another chuckle, sounding the most artificial of them all, escaped her jaws... Her other eye slid into view, both facing in the right direction, then both blanked out, becoming coals in her sockets. _She really doesn't recognize me..._ "Isabel- wait, I can explain..." "You've got the wrong guy, brat. You wouldn't want to hurt Levi, now, would you?" 

By now, she'd reached the base of the wall, head impossibly positioned in a snakelike fashion from what he could only assume was the remnant of her neck. "Oh, Big Brother? I don't know what you're talking about... Farlan, can't you see that twisted smile on his face? I would recognize him if that were the truth, though all I see is a damned villain posing as a companion of sorts... Hah! Who let a murderer work here? You think I don't remember? We both died here, and as did Brother. I remember seeing the blood dripping from his neck... But unlike us, he didn't meet his fate in a suit like us. He's gone, Farlan! Why can't you see that?!" Eyes twitched and the lights in them flickered, the same eyes, only a more deranged interpretation of the redhead's soul than Levi ever- or ever wanted to- had seen. _I didn't expect a bunch of kids to turn her into a maniac..._ The remnant of Isabel gripped the walls, poised to strike. "Did you think you'd get away with it, Murderer?! Did you really think I'd tolerate this senseless killing?! You could've stopped at us, but no- you had to go on ahead and kill him as well! Made it so we could never be together again..." Oil dripped and drizzled copiously down her paint-peeled cheeks. "Well, now you're gonna get back what you've done to us!" "Isabel, NO!" Without much more warning, the robot catapulted itself at the man in front of her, claws digging into his navy uniform with as much force as possible, knocking him onto the ground.

By now, any struggling was useless- even as tough as he was, he was no match for a killer robot with a hunger for vengeance. A forceful hand rolled him over, gripping the collar of his shirt until she drew little beads of blood. "ANSWER ME! It was you, wasn't it?! Wasn't it?! ANSWER ME!" The remaining bits of her fingers dug into his bare arms, heavy gashes oozing with crimson. In spite of himself, Levi gave a yelp of pain. "I SAID TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED! WHY DID YOU THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA?! OH, YOU'RE GETTING WHAT'S COMING FOR YOU, ALL RIGHT!" It continued for a few moments, the feline attempting to grasp her nearly metal-sparse body, until finally managing to grab her wire of a tail, pulling her off and giving her a good smack in the head. "IDIOT!" All insanity seemed to flicker out by then. There was no remaining twisted feeling bunching up in her circuits and wires, eyes returning to their normal state, dizzy at first, then widened in terror. 

The first thing she saw was the blood. Massive drips and drizzles hung from her fingers, leaving massive red splotches on the floor. But it wasn't just that. Looking back, the sight alone was enough to give her chills. In the mess of it all, covered with wounds that seemed all too easy for her to make, stood the very person in question... Confusion turned to horror. "W-What...?! No... I didn't..." Though the stains matched up all too easily from the crimson spatters dripping from her claws. It was all too easy to tell now, sickened realization falling harshly on her. But the worst part of it... The look alone was enough to show her companion's stoic gaze disappearing into distrust, confusion, terror... Without another word, the vixen turned and scampered up a wall, crawling away as quickly as possible. The little shifts in broken-down gears could be heard all around the halls, and even some snapping... From the sound of it, intentionally.

The cat shook his head angrily, trying to plot out the best move in retaliation to all that had happened. "Fuck... I didn't think she'd actually attack you..." Shakily, the guard sat up a bit, looking around himself in case any of the other robots got ideas. "How bad, exactly, have the kids been to her? It seems like it happened so suddenly... It was a malfunction and lack of wiring that caused that, wasn't it?" Farlan nodded, gritting his teeth. "Yes, it was. I didn't expect her to degrade so quickly either... But some teacher decided to bring more of the little brats in all at once, and they ended up tearing her apart even more quickly than before..." Azure eyes looked down at the dark-haired man before him. "Does she think it was her fault that happened?" Hesitating for a moment, the feline nodded. "I don't blame her, honestly. I almost feel like I should've tried to keep control on the first night as well..." Eyes trailed to the deep gashes in the guard's arms and legs. "Wow... She _really_ got you. Well... Do you need any sort of medical help? I'm not sure what we could do, but I have no doubts there's bound to be something that could be done-"

"Did my brother get carried away again?" Startled at the voice, the pair turned to see none other than Mikasa, the wolf from a few nights before, appeared in the doorway. "No- it was one of our own. He's brutal, but I don't think he's that brutal, is he?" "You can't tell with him." Her expression still kept a calm tone, creeping closer to the animatron and human. "I was taken in by his family, and his father is a doctor- I might be able to help you if you need it." Two pairs of eyes looked intensively down at the injured guard. "What do you think, Levi?" It took a moment, but the man managed to stand up for a moment, leaned against the wall, only to collapse once more. "Yes... That sounds good, much appreciated." Even in he calm of his own tone, it was strained and in obvious amounts of pain. "I'll do what I can, then." the canine replied, watching the other robot turn to leave. "I'm going to go look for Isabel, if you're alright here. I want to see if I can help get her wiring back in the correct function for whatever guard comes next..." A pang filled his robotic chest. "... Whether that's you or not." And so, the figure of the animatronic disappeared from sight entirely, searching for his mechanical companion from the audio clues given from the breaking and tearing of metal, grunts and growls of pain and anger.

The remains of a robot sat in the corner of the arcade room, slumped upside-down up against a wall, the leftovers of fingers scraping away the finality of auburn metal. The cheeks were already chipped off more than before, oil streaks dripping and drizzling down their face, making the wires soil themselves further and further. By now, she felt like all sanity was gone. "Monster... Monster..." The words escaped robotic jaws like a hiss, a sinful serpent's snarl. "That's all I am now, isn't it?" Little did she know a pair of crystal blue eyes were watching her from her current location... It wasn't long until she caught sight of a wire brush her head, held in a mechanical, newly-repaired hand... Glancing up, she recognized the bot from the gentle gaze in his eyes... "Arm'n, what are ya doin here?! I wanna be alone right now." the robot huffed in a self-resenting tone, arms crossed firmly over what chest she had left. But the robot didn't seem to be listening, looking at the wires laying askew from the endoskeleton inhabiting the girl's soul. "Why are you pulling out your wires?" 

"Those damned kids would've done it anyways- I dun see any difference if I take care of 'em instead." Isabel huffed, straightening up some from where she lay, feet more firmly pressed up against the wall. The animatronic nodded. "Yes, maybe so, however... What is it you're trying to accomplish by diminishing yourself even before then? You're so strong-willed and diligent... I don't understand why you'd rip yourself up before they do it to you... Has the hellish nightmare of a place gotten to you already?" More oily tears welled up in the animatron's emerald eyes, turning her head until she couldn't see the robot. "No... I am the hell that haunts this place." Anxious pale blue eyes looked down and saw the crimson ooze on her claws, a nervous shudder running down his circuits. However, judging by her attitude, it was obviously a mistake of sorts, and there were only so many things that could make them feel like monsters... "I understand what happened now- don't blame yourself for it. You see, your facial recognition cord bent a little too far to the left, and your memory disk has some sort of sticky residue on it... It made you glitch out, I'm sure. Oh, I know just the thing for this!" The robot's attention snapped to the feline once more, curiously looking on as he scrambled for something in the shadows, appearing once more with a manual... It was the one regarding the process and repair of the mechanical residents in the place, firmly grasped in one hand, turning pages vigorously. "Yes, yes... This is good! We can use this! So you see, if you'll let me, I can just twist this wire this way-"

A pair of significantly polished cat's ears listened intently to the conversation a few rooms from him. Each little comment, from what he could tell, drove out a bit of the shaky presence and aura the animatron gave off, practically feeling the mechanically-imprisoned girl calm down a bit more. _So he's known how to work our circuits all this time? How did I not know this?! It would've been something to ask, but I never though he's know._ But was it a good idea to get closer, or to stay back and allow the feline to do his work and repair his companion? It wasn't an easy question to answer for him- either way, it could help or hurt. So he stood motionless at the end of the hallway, passing by the pair for a moment and catching a glimpse of the work in process. "Children are brutal things, aren't they?" The words fell from the mangled animatron's mouth, judging by the tone, though if only deepened his curiosity. 

"They're not the brutal ones, only the product of such- they come from a long chain of abusers and the selfish monsters of the human race, don't they? When you really think about it, they, the species we all once were, act like they're the good and noble when in reality people won't act on anything but their best interest, isn't it? Children, like humans in general, enjoy seeing things hurt, whether they acknowledge or understand that's what it is." The tone of the feline was calm and analytic, continuing to hear the twists and turns of the mangled robot's gears from his current standpoint. "I guess you're right- I never thought about it like that. That still doesn't explain why there are people like that killer guy who-" "I know. But it's all under the same reasoning as all the rest of us. They want to see some sort of outcome from their actions. But that man... That man is a killer, and a deranged one at that, who needs to be taken down as swiftly and soon as possible before he takes more lives." After a few more twists of gears and wires replaced in silence, he stepped back, smiling at the other robot. "Now, how does that feel?"

By this point, the robot in question had the majority of their vital wires at least in the right position, a mysterious sticky residue cleaned out of her memory card. While there wasn't really much help for her physical condition regarding her lack of metal, it was an improvement from how she'd been when he found her. At least things seemed less blurry now... The animatron blinked, allowing the dust and debris to slide off her eyelids. "Much better. Thanks, Arm'n!" Though the joy in her face disappeared as memory returned. "I still hurt him, though..." The robot continued to look on at the endoskeletal being before him, letting a small sigh pass his jaws. "You didn't kill him, did you? You don't think it's bad enough to hospitalize him?" A vigorous shake of the head met his inquiry. "Nah, I didn't get enough time to do that..." Teeth clenched to stifle her anxiety. "At least, I hope..." The sound of footsteps silenced her thoughts, turning around after a few moments to reveal none other than her companion.

The cat in question gave a small, curt nod at his older counterpart, a polite though not necessarily pleased look spread across his face. No, he seemed more worried than anything... "Thank you for fixing her up a bit, Armin." Worry turned to slight relief, his eyes glancing down at the endoskeletal remains of the robot in the corner, who had changed her posture so she sat upright once more. "Oh, it's no problem, really. I've noticed that the kids have gotten pretty rough with her, and no one deserves to be stuck with a bunch of icky wires... I'm more than happy to help. I'm sure I could help kick out your programming if you want that as well- hers is already further damaged than I can repair, I'm afraid- so you can wander about the halls without having to deal with system glitches and the like... I thought that could help you, in case the night guard does come back... Do you think he will?" Farlan's ears reared back slightly, more in worry than anger. "A good bit of me hopes he doesn't- with Isabel and I glitching out at random intervals, it could get dangerous... Besides, Levi's been badly injured. I don't think it's bad enough to hospitalize him, but he's got a couple nasty cuts..."

"Nothing major, I assure you." Heads turned to reveal none other than the man in question: while putting a good bit of his weight against the charcoal animatronic who'd tended to his wounds, however only for a moment. It seemed he'd been less injured than they'd originally believed, however- Levi only had a couple bandages on his arms, and a smaller one around his knee. Overall, out of all the things that'd he'd experienced, the mental pain was far greater than the physical damage dealt. Pure terror filled the eyes of the scrap of a robot in front of him, attempting to scramble away onto the ceiling. "G-Get away from me, brother..." Once again, the calm, almost unamused look in his eyes returned, walking over to her with only the slightest limp. "So you recognize me again?"

The robot managed a small nod, turning attention to her hoped destination once more. "It's probably better if you get back before I snap and think you're someone else again..." Nervously, Isabel turned to look at him once more, noticing a hand reach up and attempt to pull her down by the tail. "Come down here- I'm certain nothing will happen, now that you've gotten your wires fixed up from what I've heard..." A nervous, mechanical laugh came from the animatron, struggling to keep her grasp on the walls. "Brother, please... I don't know for sure if that fixed anything for long as I need it for... I'm gonna lash out, I know it... Please don't let me-" "ISABEL!"

Simply the desperation and mild anger of his voice was enough to shatter her heart on the inside. Hesitant emerald eyes glanced in his direction, mechanical ears (or what was left of them) flattening against her robotic skull. Gritting her teeth, oil spilling from the corners of her eyes, she eventually let him allowing him to continue pulling her down to his level. Surely this event would ruin it, the bond between them; surely then she'd never deserve his assurances or even his presence. The only thing left for a killer was- Firm, gentle arms scooped up her weakened metal frame, with which she weighed only a tenth of other animatrons, carefully drawing her into his embrace. Confusion characterized the gaze in loosened verdant eyes, looking over to expect some sort of anger or betrayal lying within, but no, nothing of that sort. The only thing she saw in them was a lot of mental suffering, deep sorrow and a huge splatter of guilt. Then, ever so quietly, seeming anxious as to further pain her: "I understood all this time had banged you up significantly, but I didn't realize just how badly this has crushed you." His grip tightened, teeth gritted, small transparent tears tricking down his cheeks as he looked up at her. "My child, I'm sorry..."

Something clicked within her suit. Yes, he cared greatly, but even after his own pain he could only focus on hers. Perhaps that was what truly broke him in the end- not the scrapes and scratches, not the terror of being mutilated in an animatron's body- that was the worst of it all, having to see all the agony they'd endured over the single year he'd left. The most bone-crushing thing was the fact there was little he could do to free them. Just the look alone screamed "I'll get you out of here if it kills me." He was indeed determined to find a way now more than ever, to release them from that hell... And with that, perhaps he could cure his strife with the knowledge they'd moved onto a better place. That was his main goal he'd decided, after he could avenge them. Simply looking at the auburn animatronic decided it.

He could feel metal "paws" slip around his neck, seeing the bafflement turn to a sort of internalized agony he couldn't quite pinpoint. She was suffering something straight from hell, trying to cover it up with a simple forced smile. Even in this place, they still continued to mask their pain behind a thin layer of artificial content. Alas, it was all but a string of poorly constructed lies. Emotion was obvious, pain written across each and every wire spilling from her in a hopelessly entangled mess. Perhaps it wouldn't be bad to slip back into that general concealed personality of his own once more... It was a bit difficult with the pain of losing them and being reunited, especially after the mess only an hour or two ago, but he felt he could manage. After all, it was with this he'd forgotten how to smile, much how she'd forgotten how to hurt outwardly. It was the opposite of his stoic nature, though one of the same in a sense.

"Didn't I tell you to cut that out?" Once again, shocked confusion returned in place of false cheer. "How do you expect me to take you seriously when you're covering yourself up like that?" Confusion turned to annoyance. 

"Brother, are ya really one who can talk 'bout that?" Now it seemed she'd truly regained some spirit, an eyebrow raised teasingly along with the little inquiry. Even much as he hated to admit it, she indeed had a point- she always knew the shell he used to conceal himself wasn't his true personality at all. 

"I suppose not," Levi sighed at last, "but I'll quit that if you'll do the same. I don't want you going around acting like you're fine when you're in dire need of mental help." 

The metal-stripped animatronic twisted her head upside-down, looking on curiously at him. "How could ya tell?" Ears drooped on their metal pivots with a sort of whirring sound, allowing a metallic sigh to pass her loosely hinged jaws. "Yer right, though. I guess I'm just a bit mangled and broken..." A hand reached down to direct her gaze to his own. 

"I'll see if I can't get Hanji to run a couple repairs- or I'll pay the restaurant to get you repaired. It's bullshit that they refuse to mend you when you're in this state, and I've got little doubts that it's affecting your overall morale. How do you manage to keep on going like this? I can't begin to imagine..." He felt stupid to believe for a second that she could possibly feel alright in her current condition. Stripped down to endoskeleton and wires, it was impressive she was even _sane_ , even if there was that dreadful side effect of what could only possible represent som form of depression. Looking around, there wasn't any question over why it was this way... Being in the place only reminded him of his own.

"T'wasn't bad at first- I did have some company at first, and the children seemed nice enough... Quite a number of them seemed to understand me in a way. I suppose seeing them happy made me forget a lil 'bout all the loneliness- and durin the night I could always hang around the night guard, heh. Nice guy he was. Fer get what his name was, though. But either way, I had some company. It wasn't until the younger 'uns decided ta show up that I had a problem... N'in some ways, the 'repairers' were worse on me than the breakers..." Jaws twisted into a grimace. "Ya think this is even reparable?"

Levi gave a small nod. "I'm sure there's something I could do. There's no way you're going to stay in this condition if I have anything to say about it." Eyes flickered to an overhanging clock. "It's 5:45- don't you have to get back to your locations before your servos shut down?" Levi inquired, turning to face Farlan with a curious look in his eyes. 

The feline stood puzzled for a second, nodding slightly. "Yes, I'm afraid I have to go ahead to the main stage again," Farlan mumbled in response, all too reluctant to admit it. "Kid's cove is right around the corner if you want to put Isabel back there... Think there might be a few spare parts laying around there if you want to try and fix her. You've only got fifteen minutes, though- I'm not sure how well you can do that in such little time." The animatronic gritted his teeth. "I just hope she doesn't get thrown in the back room if this persists..." 

"She's the mascot of the Cove, right? I doubt she's going to find herself back there anytime soon," Levi replied, taking a moment to adjust his grip on the cords beneath his fingers. "I don't think you should worry about that- if anything, it might be good for her to get away from those savage kids."

"I suppose you're right. Besides, if she's back there, the others might help- from what I've seen, Armin has some knowledge of her wiring that might help. I'll check with him the next chance I get and see if we can't work something out." A small, nervous grin spread across his jaws. "Nice kid he is, I must say- taught us a lot when we first arrived in this hellhole. That's another story all together, though..." mechanical feet found their way to the edge of the room. "See ya later, old pal." Without another word, Farlan turned the corner and disappeared from sight and leaving the pair alone.

Walking to the cove was even more troubling on Levi's heart. Even though it'd be the only way to keep his job and get them both the help they needed, he hated to put her back in the place just to see her ripped to pieces once more. It wasn't long until he managed to come up to it, looking around for only a moment at the scenery. 

The walls were a gritty gray color, covered in messy children's drawings and metal pizzas hanging on the walls. A couple white gift boxes with colorful ribbons sat in the left hand back corner, directly next to a small table littered with hats. The ceiling was, not unlike the animatronic's remains, a tangled mess, draping cords down practically to the floor. On one side, a pink poster with the robot's face on it. The place even made him feel uneasy, setting the mangled robot back in her place. "Just try not to rip any child's head off, okay?" Levi asked, a hint of humor on his lips. "I'd hate to see them try to scrap you or something if you do..." A violent shudder ran down his spine. 

"Try to hold on until I come back- I'll try to get a repairman to come here and get you sorted out." A hand traced the auburn metal of her face, trying to force a smile himself. "You said it was only a couple who ripped you to pieces, right? Try to hide if you can- on the ceiling if you have to. Just out of their reach, those brats..." Eyes trailed to a piece of paper on the floor, picking it up and looking at a small drawing. There was a small depiction of a child stomping on the remains of the robot, another taking a decapitated head in their hands. He couldn't hide the nausea in his eyes. "This... This is sick. Absolutely vile. And they hang these around on the walls, proud of what they're doing?" The robot attempted a nod. "I truly had no idea all this was going on. I'll try to talk to someone about this-" His words slipped away at the sound of the clock. 

"I promise I'll get you help, little sister."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted some Levi and Isabel fluff/angst, and since the last chapter was more focused on Farlan's animatronic I thought it'd focus on Isabel a little since she's one or my favorites.


	13. The Night After The Slaughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going back to the night Isabel and Farlan lost their lives, they are met with a trio of animatronics who shared similar fates and are more than willing to help them settle in... Even if it means they have to forget everything they once were to do so.

"Where... Where are we?" Confusion spread like an epidemic through electrical currents, trying to stand from the location she was in- wherever the heck that was. "Far? Y'around here somewhere? Levi?" Shakily, the teen managed to stand, legs numb for some reason or another that she couldn't help but wonder quietly. She recognized the place well enough; Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was more than recognizable for its bleak atmosphere and harsh checkerboard floors; and yet she couldn't quite navigate her way around the place. The last things she ever thought she'd see were the shocked eyes of the two people she loved so dearly, along with a puddle of blood forming around her... But what had become of the other two? _I don't get it- shouldn't I already be dead by now?! I can still kinda feel my legs, but they aren't feelin' the same..._

Though at last, it seemed she'd gotten a response: "Isabel?" Ears perked up at the sound of the all-too-familiar voice, turning towards the location of the voice. Yes, if Farlan were there, surely they'd be able to get out of the situation they were on, whatever that was. However, with each word, each step from the approacher she could only assume was him, a dreadful click of gears spun and whirred each time they moved. As if it'd been bad enough to agree to come to a place filled with those robots she'd always been so afraid of, but to be stuck with them, alone?! That was quite another thing.

Another click, another whirr met her ears, then finally a figure mouthing her name. Sure enough, it was an animatronic; bathed in fresh, bright yellow paint and polished to a glaring shine. Every second it seemed it scoured from another angle, trying to determined where the voice had come from. A small bit of the suit branched off into a small metal tuft, cheeks lifted slightly to mimic ruffled fur. Though it didn't strike the fear into her heart until a pair of piercing, over-stylized blue hues caught sight of her... A flash of rosy cheeks glimmered in the dim light briefly, before stepping forward with a sort of caution she hadn't expected. Either way, it was terrifying, trying to avoid the gaze or the metal being in hopes she'd be lost from its sight. 

It didn't seem to be the case. With every second, she could feel the metallic creature creeping up further and further... But in a sick moment of dread, she realized there was nowhere to run, cornered directly onto the wall behind her. "Whaddya lookin' at, ya fuckin' hunk of metal-"

"It is you..." A hushed whisper came across the room as the robot swept its way across to her, azure eyes sincere with a sort of light she'd never expected to appear on a robot's face. The voice was undeniably the one she'd known for nearly her whole life, and yet, could it possibly be true? The robot before her was the man she loved and trusted so? It could only seem so, for that look was one she couldn't imagine coming from anyone but him; nervous and quiet, yet still brave enough to carry on.

"F-Farlan, that you? You're-?" 

The robot twitched for a moment, replying with a mechanical nod reluctantly. "I'm afraid it is. Sadly, you don't appear to be the same either- I was hoping you might've been spared from... Well, whatever the hell this is, though it doesn't seem to be the case." 

A curious look swept her face, eyebrows raised slightly and head tilted just enough. "What're ya talking 'bout, Farlan? Don't feel any different than usual-" Though before she could say another word, the robot had already made his way behind her, leaning over to reveal a metal hand before her eyes; judging from the angle it was at, it was only safe to assume it was her own. A horrified look spread across her jaws, hearing the clank of metal against her ears and grasping the hand with another of identical crimson metal. "Nah, this can't be actually happenin'..." And yet she could, for a reason she couldn't explain, feel the circuits running through her... It couldn't be happening... Though it was. She could tell that much already- it didn't feel anything like a dream.

"I know you didn't want for this to happen, though you've got to listen to me..." The other robot's jaws clanked together to form an anxious grimace. "I honestly have no idea what's going on here. I can't quite remember what happened that night before," Farlan mumbled, running a hand up his metal coat in anxiety, "though I would've sworn the last thing we saw were those awful bullets... And then our Killer stuffed us into the animatronic suits like so..." Blue eyes widened at the insanity of it all. "No way... Our souls couldn't be... Haunting these robotic suits, could they..?"

"You're awfully quick to figure out, aren't you?" An unfamiliar voice echoed from the hallways, Isabel's grip tightening on a pair of faded emerald eyes staring from the corner of the room. "Would've expected a couple newbies like ye two to take much longer to discover it." More clicks and whirrs animated the dark and desolate hallways as the owner of the voice stepped forward, what appeared to be aggression evaporating into empathy. "Don't worry, though; you're not alone. For I am, too, a traveling soul trapped in the gadgets and gizmos of one of these run-down robots, slaughtered and sealed away within a robot since the day my carcass was placed inside of this here... Thing." The robot thumped his chest, making a resonant clanging sound with the small pound. "You can call me Eren."

"Don't worry, though- it isn't as bad as he makes it sound." A pair of cyan lights- not even eyes- blinked on and off, circling for a moment until they were directly next to the pair. From what the other two could see, he was pretty worn down, missing bits and pieces legs, an arm detached to expose wires. All of this wasn't as frightening to them, however, as the robot's lack of a face save for a lower jaw lined with deathly sharp teeth... The robot stepped back for a moment, extending his available hand in greeting. "You needn't be afraid of me- I promise I don't bite." What appeared to be an attempted grin spread across his remainder of a face, revealing those knife-sharp teeth once more. "My name's Armin; as for the pair of you?"

"I'm Farlan, and this here's Isabel," the golden bot replied, pushing the fearful robot forward. "Neither of us are quite used to being like this, whatever it is, so both of us might take some time to get adjusted..." Even if it was the truth, it wasn't the integrity of it... Though the robot was sure it'd be easier than explaining the vulpine's seemingly irrational fear of animatronics.

"Don't worry about it. I apologize if I'm a little frightening-g-g to the eyes, though you see, I was taken apart to make the suit your soul now resides in." A rusty finger traced its way to Farlan's robotic chest. Only when the animatronic's eyes filled with fear did Armin speak up once more, sounding far more apologetic this time. "S-Sorry, that probably wasn't the right thing to say. I understand it didn't have anything to do with you, no worries... You're both victims just as we are." His eyes flickered back into what seemed to be a cheerful light. "You two are our replacements, and someone has to teach you how to act in this place so you don't attract attention, anyways. I'm aware you've noticed the differences between your human states and the ones you now hold, and as the new animatronics especially, you'll have to be given some proper training as to do your job effectively."

It was more than obvious that the feline's confusion was rising, quirking an eyebrow at the mention of being assigned a "job." Was it really more than their own bodies the place had cost them? "What exactly would these... Jobs be, exactly?" 

A small, polite sort of grin lit up the remainder of the feline's face, patting the replacement robot on the back. "It isn't too complicated- all you've really got to do is keep a smile on your face and spirit in your voice, you know, for the kids. Nobody is supposed to know we exist in this state, or else they'll surely burn us all to the ground if here given any signs of our true selves behind all this metal and wiring. To do that, you have to make sure you appear to be nothing more than robots... But don't worry about it! We've all figured out how to work in such a manner, and we can teach you how!"

There was something strange about the robots, really; it wasn't even the fact they were children, children who'd met fates all too familiar to theirs- not exactly... More the way the faceless cat decided to present himself. There was something lurking down beneath all those nuts and bolts. Something was hiding nevertheless. But what? Probably better to ignore it for the moment. Whatever it was the cat was doing with his aura he discovered, looking down at the slightly smaller robot, was soothing her nerves and allowing her to grow more accustomed to the bots, fears seeming to evaporate before his very eyes. _Whatever they are, I'll make sure to keep an eye on them- better to trust them for the moment instead of getting her nervous over nothing._ "What sorts of things do we need to learn to conceal ourselves from curious eyes?"

"Well, your companion would probably do well enough off at the Kid's Cove- that's her assumed position in this place. Eren'll show her to the place, I'm sure." A hand gestured for the brown animatronic to step forward, allowing her to see the damage on his arms more than clearly enough, giving off what appeared to be a small shudder. The red animatron's ears flicked back, gritting her teeth.. Though only for a moment. Unlike the look in his eyes but a moment before, any hostility had made its way to the back of his mind, giving her a look of pure compassion. 

"Ayy- it's alright-t-t, now. I'm not going to hurt-t-t you, little one. Just try to relax a little; it does take a little while to get used to your new forms, and this damn place as well. It does get better though, once you have an idea of how to get around." A somewhat forced smile snuck up on his lips, before fading once more. "Come on, now," the robot murmured, placing a metal hand on her shoulder. "Go on ahead and step this way-y-y. The cove is awaiting ye, lass." 

The cat watched the pair leave with unease, unsure of the truth in the dog's hospitality. Maybe he was just stressing as usual, though something about it seemed almost... Forced all the same. He doubted that he, pre say, meant Isabel herself any harm, though there was an aura of hostility still around him that he wanted to look out for. But who would he unleash it on? He might never know, and frankly, hoped he wouldn't have to...

He could feel another cold hand wrap around his neck, looking over to see a different robot placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're stuck here as well?" inquired the newer bot, looking up at him with lustrous gray eyes. "I do hope you don't have too much trouble fitting in here- my brother does tend to be a little intimidating by first glance, though he means well enough." Her eyes closed with a click, opening once more a second later to regard him. Her jaws seemed immense for starters, almost as if they had two sets of razor-sharp teeth popped up from within her endoskeleton. Not unlike the cat, she was missing one arm, a mess of the same types of wires spilling out and tangling over one another. Around her neck, a red scarf dangled, sweeping over a couple metal-exposed places on her shoulders, barely visible from beneath it. An unbroken hand stretched out to meet his in acquaintance. "I'm Mikasa." 

"F-Farlan," the other robot stuttered, taking her hand after the initial shock was over. It was strange how he could find someone so assuredly similar to the man they'd lost contact with, yet so different all at once. He could tell the soul of this particular child kept that same stoic aura around herself, though what she was hiding, once again, he didn't know. But he was certain of one thing; the concealed ones normally hid a storm beneath their flesh and blood- or in this case, circuits and wiring. "Pleasure to meet you." Best to stay on her good side, in any case.

"Mikasa, I'm afraid I'm a bit rusty about this place." Ears flicked back to hear the other cat speak up once more. "Do you, by any chance, remember where the stage is?" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You want me to what?" The robot was slightly taken aback, ears flicking forward in surprise. He wasn't quite expecting to be a performer, exactly, but a simple figure in the cold, unwelcoming place. How would he ever get used to looking over children with a grin when he felt so... Empty?

The faceless animatronic reached over to a corner of the stage, casting a microphone aside to reach for a pair of v-shaped, cherry-red guitars. "You're going to have to learn how to play these, you see. It's in the rules that there are always three animatronics over here, and they always play a song to the children. If you do your job well enough and don't seem to be a threat, they'll allow you to wander around and talk a bit more personally to the kids. As long as you keep a little robot feeling to your voices, I'm certain that they'll hear you out, and by this we just might be able to get some exposure to what happened out to the public. And who knows, you might even see the Survivor once more, if he decides to come back like a loyal companion."

The robot tilted his head, regarding the robot with a new sort of curiosity. "Levi?"

The remainder of the feline's ears flicked forward, giving a small nod. "Oh, is that what he's called? We just call him 'Survivor' ourselves. This is his second time making it out alive, I think, the first being the exact same one we were all slaughtered. You see, once we were shot down... Rather brutally..." He could see the robot noticeably stiffen. "I won't go into the details, though- allow me to say it wasn't much more pleasant than the bullet shower you received. Though I think the rest of us went somewhat like that of your other companion... Quick and painless." 

Farlan's mechanical jaw dropped. "You saw that?!" The feline nodded sheepishly, backing up in expectation of a fit of anger. Even he could read that his "replacement" wasn't entirely a gentle soul, even if he seemed to have the same nervousness as him. 

"I'm sorry- there wasn't anything we could do to salvage you from the cold heart of the night guard! Besides, we were only eight when they took us all one by one... All of us died as children..." The robot's face dripped and drizzled with what looked like copious amounts of oil and... Blood, Armin watching from small lights-for-eyes as the other backed up. 

"Good grief, is that supposed to happen?!" It was streamed enough being in the place, but now it seemed as if the robots were even more run-down than he'd expected. At least now he could tell the metal beings had some sort of emotions, but still...

A finger traced its way along the stream of mingled liquids, wiping it cleanly as he could from his remaining circuits. "No no, it's okay. That just happens when we're upset about something. Someone thought it'd be a good idea to program us to leak oil when we were sad or broken to pieces, to make it seem as if we were more human... I wonder if it's one of the reasons we don't get to see the kids as often as we used to, because to be honest it's a little frightening even when we see it happening to one another..." What sounded like a shaky breath sounded from within the bot's suit, that same disturbing partial smile snaking its way across the reminder of his jaw. "I'm alright, though- don't worry about it." Once he handed the other robot one of the instruments, he began to tie the wires of his missing hand around the instrument, tuning the knobs at the end by the time he'd finished holding it steady. "So tell me... Do you know how to play guitar yet, or shall I give you a small tutorial?"

"I think it might do me some good to see how you play it- I don't think I've seen one like this before, let alone played this model." His eyes trailed to a small strap on the guitar, wrapping it around his neck and carefully doing the same for the robot that his shell replaced. "But I'm sure that this could help you there- Armin, right?- since you've only gotten the one arm." He heard a muffled "thanks" in response, feeling the cold yet curious stare of those lighted eyes once more.

"Alright, so you place your hand right here," Armin instructed, putting his arm on the thinner portion of it, "and make sure you hold it in place with the other. I don't have another one to work with, but it's best to put it at the bottom of your instrument, and use your fingers to pluck the strings. We're robots, so our finger can't really get cut, you know..." Cyan lights looked back up at him expectantly. "Just remember, long as you're smiling, you're safe from too much exposure. So do us all a favor and keep on smiling, even if you can't stand the place any longer, will you? We might have a chance to make it out if you do."

It made a bit more sense now; their programming taught them to keep their hearts light even if their souls felt awful, meaning it really wasn't the robot's child fully in control... But would the same happen to them? He sure hoped not... 

_I'll try, kid. I'll try..._

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"Ye see, this here is a small hook for ye to use..." The brown animatronic used his good hand to attach it to his broken fist. "You just have to make a small fist and allow the magnet to sink in between yar fingers, matey." Another hand flitted to two eyepatches, picking one up and allowing the cord to wrap around his head, sticking up above his left eye. "Basically, you have to learn how to talk and act like a pirate, and that's about it." Eren slashed the air with his hook, before handing her a hook and eyepatch of her own. "Don't worry too much about being lonely, though... Even if you're stuck without much other company at night, they allow us to free roam after hours. Besides, all the little 'uns will love ye, lass! You're the face of the build-yar-own animatronic attraction!"

Something about the name alone... It sent shudders up her circuits. There appeared to be something terribly wrong with that title. Sure, it was just kids- from her understanding, they animatronics hated adults, and not the children they once played along with. "Err... That animatronic wouldn't be... Me, would it?"

The faded green eyes of the animatronic widened, shaking his head. "Ye don't have to worry about that, lass. Yar just supposed to guide them to another bot- this one we know for sure is soulless-s-s." He gestured a hook over to a couple of animatronic parts, alongside a head that appeared to belong to some sort of rat robot. "Ye just have to stand in the cove and monitor the tots. It's not terribly hard-d-d."

The other robot raised an eyebrow. "Are ya talkin' like that by choice? Somethin' don't seem natural about the pirate slang in yet voice-e-e." Ears flicked back in alarm at the sound of the robotic stuttering in her voice, gritting her teeth and praying it wouldn't happen again. 

"Looks like your programming is already settling in," Eren remarked with a smirk. "All the slang is a part of it in case you don't know already... I was just showing you a bit of it so you know what to expect when the time comes that you start talking the same sort of language. It's just programming, so you're right- it's not how I naturally talk." An almost testing grin slipped across his jaws. "What; is that awful grammar part of your programming as well?"

He could practically feel the steam coming off from her. "Ayy, unlike some of y'all, I don't need none of that." The red robot placed a finger on her chest. "I's a thief 'fore here... Didn't grow up in the best part o' town so we had'ta steal to survive. I bet ya gotta be pampered by yer parents if ya had time to read n'all that!" 

"I was _not_ the best off I'd say, though the place I grew up in was fine. Most of the stuff I know came from my best friend opposed to my own collection of books." The robot set a finger on his temple. "Though I did get a decent sense of biology from our collections; my father was a doctor, you see."

"Ya, n' I bet'cha that'll get ya far 'nough in this place, ya hunk of metal!" Isabel snapped acidly. "Even I can tell there's no way biology'll help you in a place like this, an' I've only been here for a couple hours!"

"Says the girl who I bet doesn't even know how to count to ten!" He'd tried his best to keep himself calm, and yet there was something about her... Something about her irked him. Perhaps it was her tone, maybe her snarly attitude, possibly even how much she seemed to want to fight... Though he had a feeling it was something else.

"Why don't you both stop fighting?" There was that voice again, the same mysterious one the cats had heard only a little while ago. Eren's ears reared back upon hearing it; he knew well enough that his sister, when not Armin, wouldn't have much bickering with any of the newer trapped souls. The robot heaved a heavy sigh, stepping further back from the vulpine animatronic and allowing the wolf to take a better look at her. "You'll get used to this place after a while, don't worry too much about it, Isabel. All of us have-e-e by now, though it isn't-t the easiest to grow used to. Take all the time you need," Mikasa murmured assuringly, shooting a nonverbally defensive Eren a glance, "and don't worry too much about him- his bark is worse than his bite." A mechanical hand placed itself on her shoulder, giving what looked like a near-smile.

"I look forward to seeing how you two fit into our family. It's small and mangled, though it's good enough for me, even when it can get lonely... There's always room for a couple more in our hearts."


End file.
